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A California institute founded by Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna proposed a new model this week for “solving one of the trickiest challenges for genomic medicines” -- their multimillion-dollar price tags.

“Currently, gene therapies can be priced at over $3 million per patient, but the (institute’s) task force created what they are calling the ‘10x Less Model’ that could cut current prices for genomic therapies by a factor of 10,” said the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI).

“Health systems should help us realize the possibility of a cure rather than create financial barriers,” said Doudna in a news release yesterday (July 6). 

The financial model was developed during a year-long study involving 30 experts from a range of fields, including genome engineering, economics, manufacturing, venture capital intellectual property. The task force included a representative from the California stem cell agency, which has pumped tens of millions of taxpayer dollars into research to develop astronomically costly therapies. 

Here are the key findings of the study:

  • “Pricing: We put forward a dynamic cost-plus model for pricing new genetic therapies that could lead...