, Columnist
Bluebird Bio's Lost Year
It needs to remind investors its treatments are in early stages.
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It turns out curing people of diseases by swapping out faulty genes with a virus isn't a walk in the park.
At the annual conference of the American Society of Hematology this past weekend, formerly red hot biotech Bluebird Bio presented new data on its efforts to use this approach to cure sickle cell anemia and beta-thalessemia, diseases affecting the ability of blood cells to carry oxygen. The results were mixed. Though one French sickle cell patient hasn't needed blood transfusions or a hospital visit for 9 months, two U.S. sickle cell patients have been far less responsive to treatment.