Last week, Sana Biotechnology, a once-mysterious and still-buzzy biotech startup, released clinical trial results showing that it had managed to implant insulin-producing cells in the arm muscle of a patient with type 1 diabetes without provoking immune rejection.
Beyond the fact that there were only results available for a single patient, researchers had only one month’s worth of followup data at a very low dose. At first blush, the results might have prompted a shrug.
Yet Sana’s stock price initially soared 200%. And even if experts weren’t quite as exuberant, some acknowledged the company and the field had potentially taken an important step forward.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in