CRISPR and Vertex Release Additional Data for Blood Disease Treatment

Investors got a look at data from additional patients treated with CRIPSR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: VRTX) CTX001 in an abstract for a presentation at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting next month.

Shares of CRISPR are up more than 10% at 12:36 pm EST as the CRISPR-based treatment continues to help patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) and sickle cell disease (SCD). Vertex, which is much larger and less dependent on the development of CTX001, is up 3.3%, about the same as the S&P 500.

CTX001 works by editing the patient's DNA so that the cells start expressing fetal hemoglobin, which makes up for the lack of hemoglobin in TDT and SCD patients. CRISPR and Vertex had previously disclosed data for two patients with TDT and one patient with SCD. The new report adds three TDT patients and one SCD patient and updates on the earlier patients.

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Source Fool.com