CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

bluebird bio, Inc. (BLUE) a clinical-stage company committed to developing potentially transformative gene therapies for severe genetic and orphan diseases, today announced that the first subject in its phase 2/3 childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CCALD) study, Starbeam (ALD-102) has undergone infusion with bluebird bios Lenti-D drug product in an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Treating our first subject in this study reflects the recent advances in the field of gene therapy and is the culmination of years of collaborative effort between the team at Dana-Farber/Boston Childrens Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and our colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital, INSERM in Paris, and bluebird bio, stated David A. Williams, MD, Chief of hematology/oncology at Boston Childrens Hospital and Associate Chairman of pediatric oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Boys with CCALD face significant risks of mortality and morbidity with allogeneic stem cell transplantation, the current standard of care treatment, if an optimally matched donor cannot be identified. bluebirds autologous Lenti-D drug product has the potential to circumvent this challenge and address an important unmet medical need for patients with this devastating disease.

Successfully initiating treatment in the Starbeam study represents an important step towards improving outcomes for patients with CCALD and is a major milestone for bluebird and its lentiviral gene therapy platform, stated Dave Davidson, MD, bluebird bios Chief Medical Officer.

About the Starbeam study (ALD-102)

The phase 2/3 study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Lenti-D drug product in the treatment of subjects with childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, or CCALD, a rare, hereditary neurological disorder affecting young boys that is often fatal. The trial study is planned to enroll up to 15 boys who will be followed for 24 months following a transplant with bluebird bios lentiviral transduced stem cells, Lenti-D. During this 24 month period, patients will be assessed for the onset of major functional disabilities, and other key assessments of disease progression.

For more information please contact clinicaltrials@bluebirdbio.com.

About Childhood Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (CCALD)

Childhood Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy is an X-linked disease caused by the aberrant expression of the ABCD1 gene in boys leading to the inability of patients to metabolize very long chain fatty acids in cells of the brain. The disease is characterized by progressive destruction of myelin, leading to severe loss of neurological function and eventual death. The worldwide incidence of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is approximately one in 20,000 newborns. CCALD accounts for about 30-40% of patients diagnosed with ALD.

About bluebird bio, Inc.

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bluebird bio Announces First Patient Transplanted in Phase 2/3 Starbeam ALD-102 Study for the Treatment of CCALD

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