Expanding medical therapies based on Crispr gene-editing globally is “unrealistic” and the sector needs heavy investment to make the technology, which could transform treatment of diseases, accessible to all, according to its co-discoverer.
Speaking in the wake of last year’s first-ever regulatory approval for a Crispr therapy, Jennifer Doudna, who alongside fellow scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier discovered the gene-editing potential of DNA sequence Crispr-Cas9 in 2012, told the Financial Times she would “love to see the day when Crispr is a standard of care for certain kinds of diseases”.
“We need to really roll up our sleeves and figure out how to take the right steps, both technically and from an investing perspective, to get to the finish line,” she said.