The ISSCR Sends Letter to WHO Regarding Their Genome Editing Consultation

In a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) in which the Society shares concerns and recommendations, the ISSCR states, "As the WHO Expert Advisory Committee continues refining the draft framework, we encourage you to consider a few recommendations to ensure that genome editing technologies are adequately evaluated by regulators and proven safe and effective before being marketed to patients.

The premature commercialization of new therapies threatens the development of scientifically validated treatments and places unnecessary economic burdens on healthcare systems and the public. When new products are sold to patients before their effectiveness is thoroughly tested, government and private healthcare payers are often compelled to reimburse for the products without knowing whether they work, and physicians with inadequate expertise are left on their own to evaluate the safety and efficacy of products for individual patients.

In the stem cell field, the premature commercialization of stem cell-based interventions has led to patients being paralyzed and blinded. We encourage you to strengthen the governance framework by emphasizing the need to ensure that all new products are proven safe and effective."

Read the letter.