First CRISPR Cures (Casgevy Approval)
Gene editing transitions from the lab to human patients.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →Casgevy became the first CRISPR-Cas9 based gene-editing therapy to receive regulatory approval (in the UK and by the US FDA) to cure Sickle Cell Disease and Beta Thalassemia.
Key Numbers
- Regulatory Status
- FDA Approved (2023)
- Mechanism
- In Vivo Gene Editing
Verified Facts
- The therapy works by extracting a patient’s stem cells, using CRISPR to edit the DNA so they produce fetal hemoglobin, and reinfusing them—effectively curing the genetic disease permanently.
- This marks the closing of the loop that started with the invention of CRISPR in 2012: humanity is now actively patching its own source code in clinical environments.