A young boy named Travis, who was born deaf, heard for the first time thanks to Otarmeni, the first gene therapy approved for hereditary hearing loss, and his story moved President Donald Trump during an event at the White House this Thursday.
The child's mother, Sierra, emotionally recounted to Trump that before the treatment, Travis "did not know his name" and that she "could not tell him how much she loved him." This testimony was part of an event where the administration announced a pricing agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed the treatment, approved this Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Trump called him a beautiful boy, and it was wonderful, according to sources close to the event. The president celebrated the medical advancement as an example of the type of innovation that his administration aims to promote and make accessible to Americans.
The announced agreement represents the seventeenth and final agreement of the most favored nation pricing initiative, a program aimed at reducing the cost of medications for American patients.
The clinical trials of Otarmeni showed promising results: 80% experienced significant hearing improvements after receiving the treatment, paving the way for its approval as the first gene therapy specifically authorized for hereditary hearing loss.
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