How much is gene therapy worth?

Later this week, Bluebird Bio is going to tell the world how much it will charge for Zynteglo, a gene therapy for a rare blood disease. So we asked readers: How pricey will it be?

About 46% of respondents said it’ll be less than the $2.1 million Novartis is charging for its gene therapy, but more than the $1 million price tag on Uniqure’s failed Glybera. About 28% believe Bluebird will charge between $850,000 and $1 million, while 27% said the price will be less than $850,000.

Bluebird’s decision, which follows winning approval in Europe, will have implications for the entire gene therapy field. Expensive one-time therapies have been a tough sell on the continent, with the first two — Glybera and GlaxoSmithKline’s Strimvelis — amounting to commercial failures. The launch — and price — of Zynteglo is Bluebird’s chance to learn from that history.