Children's Hospital 1st to offer blood disorder treatment removing need for transfusions

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A recent medical breakthrough is available in Michigan for a genetic blood disorder that can be deadly.

"I’m incredibly excited to announce that Children’s Hospital of Michigan is now the first and only center in Michigan, and the 10th center in the country to offer an FDA-approved gene therapy product as a potentially curative option for thalassemia," said Dr. Alexander Glaros. "(The blood disorder) leaves them with a profound anemia and a dependence on regular red blood transfusions for survival."

So patients continued searching for medical options.

"So previously the only cure for thalassemia was a bone marrow transplant," he said.

But match donors are not always available. That’s why this current medical breakthrough is what doctors were advocating for.

"It involves taking a patient’s own cells modifying them in a lab to make them produce normal hemoglobin," said Glaros. "So we introduced a normal gene for hemoglobin into the cells, grow the cells over the span of two to three months, and then infuse them back into the patient."

After this process takes place it should be a game changer for the patient. Now most won’t have to miss school or work on what would have been a blood transfusion day.

"Once the patient finally begins making their own hemoglobin via this new gene that we’ve introduced, the expectation is that they will no longer need transfusions and will have been cured essentially," said Glaros.

Doctors say this therapy is covered by most medical insurance In fact, the screening process is already underway to see which patients can benefit from this procedure.

"We’re planning to treat our first patient certainly within the next year hopefully within the next six months," he said. "We’re very excited to be on the cutting edge of medicine for thalassemia."