The field of gene therapy
has still been evolving and improving for several years, after suffering a
setback due to the death of a SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency) patient, as a result of adverse effect of therapeutic gene transfer. At present,
several new companies, in partnership with leading gene therapy researchers,
have been coming up with novel treatments for various diseases, not just restricting to genetic disease, but extending the
potential to different cancers.
Here, is a list of few of
the Gene therapy companies, which are potentially set-up for changing the
medical treatment scenario in coming years:
1. SPARK Technologies,
Philadelphia, the roots of the origin of this company lies with Children's
hospital of Philadelphia. This company is likely to complete the clinical trial
phase of Leber's congenital Amaurosis, till 2015.
2. Uniqure1 is
a Dutch origin company. One of it's drugs, Glybera is currently at marketing
stage for treatment of LPL enzyme deficience and therapy of several other
diseases like hemophilia, porphyria, parkinsonism are at various stages of
clinical trial.
3. Lysogene, Paris -
working with lysosomal disorders
4. Editas medicine,
Cambridge aims at bringing genome editing technology to human therapeutics.
5. Voyager therapeutics,
Cambridge is targeting to develop treatment for several central nervous system
diseases.
6. Advantagene1,
Massachusetts developed a drug named rostAtak for prostate cancer.
7. GlaxoSmithKline1
- ADA deficiency
8. Vical1 - Melanoma
(Phase 3 trial)
9. Applied genetic
technologies1 for alpha1 anti-trypsin deficiency
10. Blue bird bio1
- Adrenoleukodystrophy (ald) and beta-thalassemia
11. Celladon1 -
Cardiomyopathies
12. Ceregene1 -
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease.
13. Genzyme1,
Cambridge - Parkinson's disease
14. Oxford Biomedica1
- Parkinson's disease
15. Shenzen SiBiono
Gen-Tech, China1 - Gendicine for lung cancer
1Moran N. First gene therapy
nears landmark European market authorization. Nat Biotechnol. 2012
Sep;30(9):807-9. doi: 10.1038/nbt0912-807.