As Bluebird heads toward split, rare disease business faces new setbacks

Another pair of clinical and commercial setbacks finds bluebird regrouping on its home turf, where it still hopes to gain approval for its rare disease programs next year and has recently gained its first approval for a cancer program that is serving as an anchor for BMS’s oncology pipeline.

Monday’s announcement that Cambridge, Mass.-based bluebird bio Inc. (NASDAQ:BLUE) is winding down European operations due to reimbursement challenges for its β thalassemia therapy and grappling with another FDA clinical hold comes mere months before the company plans to spin out its cancer pipeline...