Bloomberg Businessweek USA - 19.08.2019

(Ben Green) #1
Sickle Cell

Battle Against

The Billion-Dollar

© 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.


When he was a medical student at Yale, Dr. Ted Love was
struck by how poorly sickle cell patients were treated.
Today, the disease aff ects 15 million worldwide – mostly
people of African descent. Little could be done to alleviate a
condition that damages organs, causes bouts of intense pain
and shortens lives by decades.

After retiring from a career in biotechnology, Dr. Love is back
in the lab. He’s raised over $1 billion to create a once-daily pill
to treat sickle cell disease that the FDA has put on the fast
track to possible approval. Almost $250 million was raised by
an equity off ering led by Wells Fargo.

“ If GBT’s treatment is approved, it
would be life-changing. I would no
longer have to plan my day around
my sickle cell disease.”
Cassandra Trimnell
Social Media Consultant
Global Blood Therapeutics

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2016

2017

2018

$62M

$88M

$131M

R&D SPEND
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