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FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

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Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#31

Post by jabbany »

mritchie712 wrote: post #25

Ohalo (the company Dave Friedberg is now CEO of) recently got approval for a potato edited by CRISPR: > Ohalo had two RSRs under consideration this year for its potato, one which focuses on higher concentrations of beta carotene – enhancing the overall health and nutrition value of the potato – and another which results in reduced glucose and fructose content in the potato, which, according to Ohalo, will reduce the…

Hmmm. That second one reminds me of the Flavr Savr (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavr_Savr).

More shelf life in exchange for likely worse taste...

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#32

Post by hunkins »

trident5000 wrote: post #24
hunkins wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're interested in this, check out Bryan Johnson and Blueprint.

Yeah I've read about him. It sounds at face value that a lot of what hes doing cant hurt, but its really not a solution to aging. And he still looks old. This is really not equivalent to gene editing for radical body change.

Of course, it's mostly about slowing the speed of aging. Sleep, nutrition, exercise can only take you so far, gene-based therapy is the next era.

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#34

Post by itishappy »

codedokode wrote: post #22
GoldenRacer wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What genes do you think we should be testing for and which ones do you think are severe enough that you parents with those genes shouldn't have children? Almost everyone has some sort of gene that isn't great. They might have a family history of Alzheimer's, maybe a family history or some sort of cancer, or bipolar disorder, or any other of 100 different serious illnesses. Humans would go extinct if we only allowed t…

I doubt this. If majority of population had severe incurable diseases then humanity wouldn't survive, and healthcare would collapse. I think (sorry, no statistics) that majority of population are healthy enough to do hard physical work.

Consider that traits can be recessive (like sickle cell anemia) so a healthy population can still produce children with severe incurable diseases.

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#35

Post by freedomben »

mritchie712 wrote: post #25

Ohalo (the company Dave Friedberg is now CEO of) recently got approval for a potato edited by CRISPR: > Ohalo had two RSRs under consideration this year for its potato, one which focuses on higher concentrations of beta carotene – enhancing the overall health and nutrition value of the potato – and another which results in reduced glucose and fructose content in the potato, which, according to Ohalo, will reduce the…

thanks that's neat, although I wish it wasn't with a Solanaceae member. Do you know if they are working on other types of produce or are they just working on potatoes?

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#36

Post by jimbob45 »

SamBam wrote: post #21

> Vertex set the price of Casgevy at $2.2 million > Patients must spend weeks, even months, in the hospital before and after the therapy is administered. Yoiks. So how many actual people are going to be able to get this treatment?

The Hep C cure was 100k USD when it released in 2014. 10 years later, it’s 25k USD max before insurance.

The price you see now will likely shrink in the coming years. Pretty good opportunity for an analysis on CRISPR pricing if you have a well-trafficked blog and are willing to track this for the next five years.

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#37

Post by ponector »

ericmay wrote: post #29
SamBam wrote: post #21

> Vertex set the price of Casgevy at $2.2 million > Patients must spend weeks, even months, in the hospital before and after the therapy is administered. Yoiks. So how many actual people are going to be able to get this treatment?

This is Day 1 so the price and how well it works today is almost certainly the worst it will ever be. Insurance will likely cover the cost. It's a very bad, painful, and outright deadly genetic mutation and $2.2 million is practically nothing compared to doubling someone's lifespan or giving them an extra 10 years. More info I found relevant regarding cost for typical treatment and out of pocket estimated costs: http…

I don't agree that it is nothing. 2 millions, if applied properly, could do good for many people. Take ten children from poverty, give ten children chance to get a good education, etc.

There is always a some kind of moral dilemma: should you spent millions to try to extend extremely I'll person or help with that money to some healthy poor children?

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#38

Post by lovecg »

hunkins wrote: post #30
Foobar8568 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why anyone would be interested by a charlatan?

He primarily focuses on sleep, nutrition, and exercise as measurable methods to reduce the speed of aging. Not certain how that makes him a charlatan.

No, but selling overpriced olive oil with fake health claims does.

It’s never “sleep, nutrition, exercise” with those types. It’s “sleep, nutrition, exercise, and this absolutely unique expensive product that you must take everyday that totally works”.

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#39

Post by GoldenRacer »

codedokode wrote: post #22
GoldenRacer wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What genes do you think we should be testing for and which ones do you think are severe enough that you parents with those genes shouldn't have children? Almost everyone has some sort of gene that isn't great. They might have a family history of Alzheimer's, maybe a family history or some sort of cancer, or bipolar disorder, or any other of 100 different serious illnesses. Humans would go extinct if we only allowed t…

I doubt this. If majority of population had severe incurable diseases then humanity wouldn't survive, and healthcare would collapse. I think (sorry, no statistics) that majority of population are healthy enough to do hard physical work.

I never said the majority of the population has severe incurable diseases. I said that have genes that aren't great (maybe they have a predisposition for certain diseases or they're a carrier but are healthy themselves).

Also, many diseases don't effect you until after you're past reproductive age. Evolution doesn't care if you get Alzheimer's at 70 but it still has a fairly large burden on our modern day society.

Sickle cell is particularly interesting because the gene that causes it makes the carriers less susceptible to malaria. So there actually was an evolutionary pressure for people in areas with high levels of malaria to have it (which is why it's so common among African Americans). Apparently it's better to die of sickle cell at 40 after you've had kids then die of malaria when your 10.

Re: FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

#40

Post by ponector »

hunkins wrote: post #30
Foobar8568 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why anyone would be interested by a charlatan?

He primarily focuses on sleep, nutrition, and exercise as measurable methods to reduce the speed of aging. Not certain how that makes him a charlatan.

Based on recent history to live up to 100 years you need to become or better to be born a billionaire.

Nutrition and exercise could significantly increase quality of life, but not the length.

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