Japan Approves First Ophthalmic Gene Therapy LUXTURNA for National Health Insurance Coverage

According to Kyodo News, regarding the gene therapy drug "LUXTURNA" for "inherited retinal dystrophy," a condition causing blurred vision due to retinal abnormalities, Japan's Central Social Insurance Medical Council approved it on August 23 as a public health insurance-covered treatment. Priced at approximately 49 million yen (about 2.42 million RMB) per vial for one eye, it will be covered by insurance starting from August 30. Manufactured and sold by pharmaceutical giant Novartis, this is the first gene therapy drug for eye diseases in China.