FDA approves $2.8m gene therapy treatment for rare blood disorder
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved the first gene therapy treatment that could offer a permanent cure for patients who suffer from a rare blood disorder, which the manufacturer priced at $2.8 million per patient. The cost would make the therapy one of the most expensive treatments of all time. The therapy was developed by bluebird bio and will be sold under the brand name Zynteglo. It offers a treatment for beta-thalassemia, a type of inherited blood disorder that causes a reduction of normal hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carrie
Read MoreAir Force Special Operations Command grounds fleet of Ospreys
The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has grounded its entire fleet of CV-22 Ospreys due to two recent safety incidents involving the aircraft’s clutch. The standdown of the 52 tiltrotor aircraft, first reported by Breaking Defense, was ordered by AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife on Tuesday. The decision stems from an “increased number of safety incidents” involving the Ospreys, including two in the
Read MoreCOVID-19 offers lessons on fighting climate change
President Joe Biden is deliberating on declaring a national climate emergency. Echoes of our collective delay in declaring COVID-19 a global health emergency reverberate. Yet, even as we contend with more COVID-19 waves — amid extreme flooding, heat domes and droughts — the term “emergency” feels too ephemeral for the lingering nature of both challenges. The real emergency is the need to turn our collective inertia into collective action. Sustaining a sense of urgency hinges o
Read MoreAbortion ban in South Carolina temporarily blocked by state Supreme Court
The South Carolina state Supreme Court temporarily blocked the state’s six-week abortion ban from taking effect on Wednesday, a decision that came on the same day that the state legislature advanced legislation on a near-total ban on the medical procedure. The state’s high court ruled on Wednesday to temporarily block the state’s current law, which bans abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy, from going into effect, but noted, “we nevertheless recognize the plenary authority of the legislature to legislate and make public policy decisions, subject only to the constraints im
Read MoreDOE invests $45 million in cyber technology that protects power sector
The Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that it is investing $45 million in cyber technology that will protect the power grid sector from cyberattacks. The investment will fund up to 15 research projects that will focus on developing new cybersecurity technologies designed to reduce cyber risks in the energy sector. “As DOE builds out America’s clean energy infrastructure, this funding will provide the tools for a strong, resilient, and secure ele
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