This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On Wednesday, the US government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a joint commitment to invest $200 million over the next four years to develop affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.
The initiative aims to address the significant disparities in access to healthcare, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where 67% of the 38 million people living with HIV globally reside.
Gene therapy has shown promise in treating various diseases, including blindness and certain types of leukemia. However, the treatments are complex and costly, making them inaccessible to most people worldwide.
Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, emphasized the importance of making gene therapy treatments accessible, scalable, and affordable for global use.
The NIH and Gates Foundation plan to conduct clinical trials in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years.
Sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans and 15 million babies will be born with the condition globally over the next 30 years, with 75% of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
