STAT+: Capsida says it still doesn’t know what caused gene therapy death

STAT PlusBiotech Capsida says it still doesn’t know what caused gene therapy death Trial tested the first of a new wave of brain-targeted treatments Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Jason MastMay 12, 2026 General Assignment Reporter Jason Mast[email protected]Jason Mast is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the science behind new medicines and the systems and people that decide whether that science ever reaches patients. You can reach Jason on Signal at JasonMast.05. Capsida Biotherapeutics said Tuesday that it still had no answers in its investigation into the death of a child in a gene therapy trial last September.

Its scientists’ efforts, it said, have been stymied because the hospital where the study was conducted has declined to share tissue samples from an autopsy. Advertisement The therapy, known as CAP-002, was the first of a wave of new gene therapies designed to deliver genes deep into the brain. Scientists around the world engineered viruses that could slide through the blood-brain barrier that walls off our most vital organ from the rest of the body.

Companies spun up promising treatments for devastating rare genetic diseases and common conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+.

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2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In biotechnology, gene editing, Gene therapy, rare diseases, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Jason Mast General Assignment Reporter Jason Mast is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the science behind new medicines and the systems and people that decide whether that science ever reaches patients. You can reach Jason on Signal at JasonMast.05.

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