St. Jude Develops First ‘Living Drug’ for Childhood Leukemia

The FDA approved the first treatment to use a patient’s own cells on a form of childhood leukemia, opening a new era in cancer care, thanks to the work done at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Researchers say the first “living drug” of its type to hit the market could alter how doctors treat aggressive childhood cancer. Though costly, the new gene therapy price is less than bone marrow or stem cell transplants and poses fewer risks.

And, the hope is that similar techniques can treat aggressive brain tumors, bone tumors and muscle tumors, but more research is still needed.

– Kym Clark/Kendall Downing, WMC Action News 5