Saudi Arabia achieves global medical breakthrough with successful gene therapy for thalassemia

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has made a medical breakthrough, with King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh (KAMC-RD) of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA) successfully using Casgevy gene therapy through CRISPR gene editing technology to treat a 13-year-old patient with thalassemia major.

This achievement marks the first successful use of such advanced gene therapy outside of clinical trials and research.

The young patient, who had been dependent on blood transfusions every three weeks since birth, has fully recovered and left the medical city after a successful gene cell transplantation.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to extend these advanced gene therapies to more patients suffering from sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, further establishing its leadership in the field of gene therapy on a global scale.