US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said 35 states will participate in a federal pilot program to expand access of costly gene therapies for sickle cell disease to Medicaid patients, multiple news outlets reported Friday.
These 35 states house almost 84% of the Medicaid patients with the genetic blood disorder, Bloomberg reported, citing Kennedy's speech to the National Council of Insurance Legislators.
The pilot program would also allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to arrange payment agreements for the therapies on behalf of states, Bloomberg said.
The various states' interest in the pilot program represents "positive news" for pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the gene therapies, including Bluebird Bio (BLUE), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) and Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP). The companies' therapies, which were approved in December 2023, come with a costly price tag and "have struggled to gain traction," according to Bloomberg.
The Department of Health and Human Services didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires.
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