Health professionals enthusiastic about approval of gene therapies for sickle cell disease
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Key takeaways:
- The analysis revealed strong support for FDA approval of lovotibeglogene autotemcel and exagamglogene autotemcel.
- Overall, HCP mentions related to new product launches and approvals increased by 16% in December.
An analysis of online conversations among health care professionals on social media in December revealed collective enthusiasm following approval of the first two gene therapies for treatment of sickle cell disease.
Health care professionals (HCPs) on social media also spoke favorably about approval of a drug intended for treatment of urothelial cancer.
Creation Healthcare — a leading health care insights consultancy — used CREATION Pinpoint to analyze 2,732 posts on X (formerly Twitter) by 1,854 HCPs to identify key aspects of discussions about FDA approval or launch of pharmaceutical products from Dec. 1 through Dec. 30.
HCP mentions of product launches peaked on Dec. 8 after the FDA approved both lovotibeglogene autotemcel (Lyfgenia, Bluebird Bio) and exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy; Vertex Pharmaceuticals, CRISPR Therapeutics).
Lovotibeglogene autotemcel is a cell-based gene therapy. Exagamglogene autotemcel is the first FDA-approved therapy to utilize CRISPR/Cas9, a type of genome-editing technology.
Both therapies are intended for treatment of individuals aged 12 years or older with sickle cell disease.
In their online mentions, health care professionals labeled these approvals “historic medical milestones” and expressed a belief that a “new era of CRISPR-based medicines” is set to begin, bringing with it great medical potential.
Both treatments drew equal levels of excitement among health care professionals, one of whom suggested that “medicine will never be the same again” following the news.
References to these new treatments were one component of a broader 16% increase in the number of mentions by HCPs related to new pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals compared with November statistics.
An additional 221 HCPs were involved in discussing treatment approvals in December compared with the previous month.
On Dec. 15, the FDA approved enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev, Astellas) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.
HCPs applauded the approval as a “big day for [patients with bladder cancer],” for whom the treatment would “transform” lives. Others characterized the regimen as a “breakthrough cancer treatment,” the approval of which represented “unprecedented times.” HCPs also congratulated the research team for their effort and valuable scientific contribution.
During the analysis period, the three most shared stories among HCPs discussing product launches included an FDA press release about the approvals of lovotibeglogene autotemcel and exagamglogene autotemcel; a STAT News article about the approval of exagamglogene autotemcel; and an FDA press release about the approval enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab for urothelial cancer.
References:
- FDA approves enfortumab vedotin-ejfv with pembrolizumab for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (press release). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-enfortumab-vedotin-ejfv-pembrolizumab-locally-advanced-or-metastatic-urothelial-cancer. Published Dec. 15, 2023. Accessed Jan. 16, 2024.
- FDA approves first gene therapies to treat patients with sickle cell disease (press release). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-gene-therapies-treat-patients-sickle-cell-disease. Published Dec. 8, 2023. Accessed Jan. 16, 2024.
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