Cigna’s new plan to cover multi-million dollar gene therapies

(Reuters) – Health insurer Cigna Corp on Thursday announced a new program that covers costs for expensive gene therapies that will cut out-of-pocket payments for customers.

Spark Therapeutics Inc and Novartis AG’s blindness therapy, Luxturna, and Novartis’ $2.1 million spinal muscular atrophy treatment, Zolgensma, will be the first two gene therapies included in the program, the company said.