Long Island Man Receives First-Ever Gene Therapy Cure for Sickle Cell Anemia
Sebastien Beauzile, a Long Island resident, is the first person in New York State to be cured of sickle cell anemia, thanks to a groundbreaking gene therapy administered at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. This innovative treatment, utilizing Lyfgenia, involved IV transfusions of Beauzile’s own bone marrow stem cells to produce healthy red blood cells, effectively eliminating the disease after 21 years of suffering. Doctors hailed this as a major medical advancement, representing the first cure for the disease in over a century. The hospital plans to extend access to this life-changing therapy to underserved communities disproportionately affected by sickle cell anemia.
John Q. Hosedrinker