Telethon foundation to fund haemophilia gene therapy

(ANSA)- Rome, January 29 - Telethon charitable foundation and the San Raffaele hospital reached an accord Thursday to fund acquisition of pioneering gene therapy to prevent haemophilia, hospital officials said.
    The agreement signed with American biotechnology firm Biogen Idec. aims to set up the first gene therapy against types A and B of haemophilia in Italy by substituting defective genes that do not coagulate.
    Specialists will use HIV virus cells rendered harmless as 'vehicles' to transport the healthy new genes, as in other pioneering methods against other hereditary diseases.