=Spark Therapeutics' (ONCE) vision-loss gene therapy to cost $850,000 per patient

• Spark's Luxturna treats a rare eye disease that causes blindness. Its $425,000 price tag per eye puts it at a total cost of $850,000 for both eyes — yet that was still below many analysts' views that Spark could price its gene therapy above $1 million.
• The condition affects between 1,000 and 2,000 people in the United States.

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Spark Therapeutics Inc said on Wednesday it would charge $850,000 per patient for its gene therapy to treat a rare form of blindness, lesser than analysts' expectation of around $1 million.

The company said the list price of the therapy, which was approved by the FDA last month, would be $425,000 per dose. (http://bit.ly/2CxDOZr)

To be sure, the list price of a drug is not necessarily what patients actually pay. Their out-of-pocket cost is based on their individual healthcare insurance plans and duration of treatment.

The FDA's approval of Spark's treatment, Luxturna, marks the first time the agency has approved a gene therapy for an inherited disease.

Luxturna treats inherited retinal disease caused by defects in a gene known as RPE65, which tells cells to produce an enzyme critical for normal vision. The condition affects between 1,000 and 2,000 people in the United States.