FDA panel recommends approval for gene-altering leukemia treatment

By DENISE GRADY
A Food and Drug Administration panel opened a new era in medicine on Wednesday, unanimously recommending that the agency approve the first treatment that genetically alters a patient’s own cells to fight cancer, transforming them into what scientists call “a living drug” that powerfully bolsters the immune system to shut down the disease.
If the FDA accepts the recommendation, which is likely, the treatment will be the first gene therapy to reach the market. Oth