Brian Madeux, 44, looks up at nurse practitioner Jacqueline Madde while receiving the first human gene editing therapy at the UCSF Benioff Children s Hospital. Madeux, who has a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome, will receive billions of copies of a corrective gene. Eric Risberg/AP This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
Gene therapies, in which healthy genes are inserted into a person s system, are a booming biotech investment area.
Audentes, Bluebird bio, Sarepta, and UniQure have all run into potential safety issues in the last year.
That could spur a wave of dealmaking focused on making gene therapies safer and easier to deliver, analysts say.