A woman with transfusion-dependent beta thalassaemia has become one of the first patients in southern England to receive the genome-editing therapy Casgevy through the NHS.
Treated at University College London Hospital, she underwent the one-off procedure in November 2025 after requiring regular blood transfusions throughout her life.
Casgevy was recommended for use on the NHS in England for people living with a severe form of beta-thalassaemia in August 2024 (see BioNews 1251). The treatment involves editing a patient's own blood-forming stem cells to enable the production of functional haemoglobin.
Doctors report that the patient has since stopped needing regular transfusions, with early signs indicating that her bone marrow is producing healthy red blood cells.
The Independent has more information