21 February 2020
Moorfields Eye Hospital has become the first NHS trust to offer Luxturna gene therapy for RPE65 retinal dystrophy.
NHS England has agreed a discounted price for the therapy with manufacturer Novartis. The therapy costs around £600,000 privately.
Moorfields patient Jake Ternent, 23, became the first patient to receive Luxturna on the NHS.
The Durham resident described the treatment as a “golden opportunity.”
“I hope the treatment can improve my night vision, and even possibly my day vision, which would be incredible. I feel lucky and privileged to get this on the NHS,” Mr Ternent said.
Moorfields Eye Hospital consultant ophthalmologist, Professor James Bainbridge, highlighted that, “the ability to provide gene therapy is a major landmark in NHS care.”
“This is the first of a whole new generation of treatments for sight impairment – made available by the NHS with the expectation of changing lives,” he emphasised.
Luxturna has been approved by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It is estimated that just under 90 people in England will be eligible for the treatment.
Image credit: Pixabay/Jason Shivers
NHS England has agreed a discounted price for the therapy with manufacturer Novartis. The therapy costs around £600,000 privately.
Moorfields patient Jake Ternent, 23, became the first patient to receive Luxturna on the NHS.
The Durham resident described the treatment as a “golden opportunity.”
“I hope the treatment can improve my night vision, and even possibly my day vision, which would be incredible. I feel lucky and privileged to get this on the NHS,” Mr Ternent said.
Moorfields Eye Hospital consultant ophthalmologist, Professor James Bainbridge, highlighted that, “the ability to provide gene therapy is a major landmark in NHS care.”
“This is the first of a whole new generation of treatments for sight impairment – made available by the NHS with the expectation of changing lives,” he emphasised.
Luxturna has been approved by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It is estimated that just under 90 people in England will be eligible for the treatment.
Image credit: Pixabay/Jason Shivers
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