Louisiana Man Becomes First in Gulf South to Be Functionally Cured of Sickle Cell Disease
Daniel Cressy, 23, of Louisiana has become the first person in the Gulf South region to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease using Casgevy gene therapy. The treatment, approved by the FDA in 2023, edits patients' own stem cells to produce healthy red blood cells.
Daniel Cressy, a 23-year-old from Louisiana, has become the first person in the Gulf South to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease after receiving Casgevy gene therapy.
Cressy spent most of his life managing the painful crises that come with sickle cell disease, a genetic condition that causes red blood cells to form an abnormal shape, blocking blood flow and causing severe pain, organ damage, and shortened life expectancy.
Casgevy, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, was approved by the FDA in December 2023. It uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to modify a patient's own stem cells so they produce functional hemoglobin. The treatment is a one-time procedure.
Cressy received the therapy at a specialized center and has been in remission since. His doctors say he shows no signs of the disease.
"I feel like a completely different person," Cressy said. "I used to plan my life around my next crisis. Now I'm just planning my life."
Sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans, with Black Americans making up the vast majority of patients. The disease has historically been underfunded relative to conditions affecting similar numbers of people.
Casgevy costs approximately $2.2 million per patient, making access a significant barrier. Advocates are pushing for insurance coverage and federal programs to make the therapy available to more patients.
Cressy's case is being closely watched by medical centers across the South, where sickle cell disease rates are among the highest in the country.
