England’s health technology assessment (HTA) agency, NICE, has formally agreed to reimburse Vertex/CRISPR Therapeutics AG’s CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel), also known as exa-cel, to treat patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Gene Editing Therapy Casgevy Now Funded In 8 Countries But French Access Withdrawn
The world’s first CRISPR gene editing therapy, Casgevy, has been made available to patients with sickle cell disease in England, adding to access arrangements in the US, Austria, Bahrain, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and Saudi Arabia.

More from Cell & Gene Therapies
Cell and gene therapy manufacturers must consider the practicalities of their product within the context of a health care system before it comes onto the market to be successful, experts from Novartis, AstraZeneca and England’s National Health Service say.
A risk-based approach to human cell therapies and tissue-based products could incentivize development and prevent bad actors from taking advantage of the current FDA system.
Experts working in the advanced therapy space say the US has less strict criteria for regulatory pathways for cell and gene therapies than the EU, particularly for products in early development.
Not all companies will be able to access joint scientific consultations under the EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation, but success is still possible for those that engage with national agencies early on, says EUCOPE’s Alexander Natz.
More from Government Payers
An analysis of Medicare Part D and other data found that more than one-third of all pharmacy spending went through pharmacies owned by Cigna, CVS Health, Humana or UnitedHealth Group.
The UK branded drug industry is calling for adjustments to be made to the UK voluntary scheme framework for branded medicines, after the payment rate increased to 22.9% for 2025. Meanwhile, the generics industry says the scheme is functioning “as intended” and opposes any changes.
The development could highlight the power of competitive market forces over government price controls or suggest Medicare price negotiation is enhancing competitive market forces.