In Malaysia, government hospitals offer treatment for various types of diseases at a low cost because the price is covered by tax payment money. The existing system is not perfect but it is better than the system in the United States where the costs are borne by the patients themselves leading to excessive debt burden.
Therefore it is not surprising that the United States National Food and Drug Agency (FDA) has approved a treatment for Beta-thalassemia that costs $2.8 million (RM12.5 million). Gene therapy using the drug Zynteglo was created by the company Bluebird Bio.
Stem cells from the patient's bone marrow will be taken and will then produce the beta-globin component using gene therapy. After undergoing treatment for between 70-90 days, Beta-thalassemia patients will no longer need blood transfusions every 2 to 5 weeks.
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