Custom cures: tailor-made drugs for rare diseases

A teenage girl in Britain recently received a custom-made drug to fix a fault in her genetic code. Doctors hope that it will treat her ultra-rare neurodegenerative condition. It is also part of a medical trial that could transform the way that customised medicines are made available to people who otherwise have no alternatives. Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Guests: Natasha Loder, The Economist's health editor; Julia Vitarello of EveryONE medicines; Paul Gissen of UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.