GBT Bucks Gene Therapy Trend With Sanofi Sickle Cell Deal

While a number of companies are pursuing genetic approaches to cure sickle cell disease, Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc., which has one of the two drugs approved for the hereditary blood disorder in Oxbryta, is focusing on improving treatment and has bagged two early-stage programs from Sanofi.

The US biotech has entered into an agreement with the French drugmaker to exclusively in-license worldwide rights to the SCD programs, one that pursues a novel anti-sickling mechanism and another "that leverages a new approach to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress