The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended granting EU-wide marketing authorisation for Waskyra (etuvetidigene autotemcel), the first gene therapy for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS). The treatment is intended for patients aged 6 months and older who need a haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) but do not have an available compatible donor.
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder that affects immune and blood cell function, leading to severe infections, bleeding episodes, and increased cancer risk. For patients without a suitable stem cell donor, there has been no effective treatment option until now, representing a major unmet medical need.
Waskyra uses the patient’s own stem cells, which are genetically modified in the laboratory to produce a functional WAS protein. Once infused back into the patient, these modified cells restore the production of healthy immune and blood cells. Waskyra is administered once, via intravenous infusion.
Clinical evidence from 27 treated patients shows a dramatic improvement:• Annual severe infections decreased from 2.0 to 0.15–0.12 events post-treatment• Moderate and severe bleeding episodes fell from 2.0 to 0.16 events over two to three years
Side effects were mostly associated with pre-treatment conditioning and catheter-related issues.
EMA’s Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) and the CHMP concluded that the benefits clearly outweigh the risks for patients with no suitable HSCT donor. Waskyra also received support through an EMA pilot for academic and non-profit developers of advanced therapies.
The recommendation now moves to the European Commission for final approval.
Read the official EMA communication here.
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