U.S. officials have approved the costliest medicine in history: a $2.1-million gene therapy that treats a rare childhood disease. Gene therapy is a medical treatment in which healthy genetic material is introduced into cells to replace abnormal genes. The new gene therapy targets a disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which severely weakens a child’s muscles. The treatment, called Zolgensma, was developed by Swiss drugmaker Novartis. Over time, SMA can make it impossible for the child to move, swallow or breathe. The disease affects about 1 in 10,000 births. In 90 percent of cases, the condition causes death or the need for permanent breathing assistance by age two. SMA is the leading cause of genetic infant death.
Title: World’s Costliest Medicine Is Gene Treatment Priced at $2 Million
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/2694f641-cf6b-4b87-a1d2-989a6b0ba427_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Worlds Costliest Medicine Is Gene Treatment Priced at $2 Million' data-article-id='3887'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15167'>U.S. officials have approved the costliest medicine in history: a $2.1-million gene therapy that treats a rare childhood disease.</span> <span data-start-time='15167' data-end-time='28375'>Gene therapy is a medical treatment in which healthy genetic material is introduced into cells to replace abnormal genes.</span> <span data-start-time='28375' data-end-time='43292'>The new gene therapy targets a disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which severely weakens a child’s muscles.</span> <span data-start-time='43292' data-end-time='52625'>The treatment, called Zolgensma, was developed by Swiss drugmaker Novartis.</span> <span data-start-time='52625' data-end-time='61354'>Over time, SMA can make it impossible for the child to move, swallow or breathe.</span> <span data-start-time='61354' data-end-time='67667'>The disease affects about 1 in 10,000 births. </span> <span data-start-time='67667' data-end-time='78208'>In 90 percent of cases, the condition causes death or the need for permanent breathing assistance by age two.</span> <span data-start-time='78208' data-end-time='84542'>SMA is the leading cause of genetic infant death.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/4D53DD8B-EC92-4E9B-BD14-9D9D10A6C8FF_cx0_cy2_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=13003 data-hint-location='78208' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/what_is_an_infant.wav'>What is an infant?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a baby or very young child'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/a_chain_of_grocery_stores.wav'><span>a chain of grocery stores</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/a_baby_or_very_young_child.wav'><span>a baby or very young child</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/an_increase_in_value.wav'><span>an increase in value</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/a_model_of_car.wav'><span>a model of car</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13004 data-hint-location='61354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/the_disease_affects_about_1_in_10000_what.wav'>The disease affects about 1 in 10,000 what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='births'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/births.wav'><span>births</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/bats.wav'><span>bats</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/houses.wav'><span>houses</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/songs.wav'><span>songs</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13005 data-hint-location='15167' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/gene_therapy_is_a_medical_treatment_in_which_healthy_genetic_material_is_introduced_into_cells_to_replace_abnormal__blank_.wav'>Gene therapy is a medical treatment in which healthy genetic material is introduced into cells to replace abnormal <span class='blank'>genes</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='genes'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/growths.wav'><span>growths</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/data.wav'><span>data</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/computers.wav'><span>computers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3373/genes.wav'><span>genes</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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