The first shots have been fired in a new Civil War. In this case, it’s not a civil war within a country, but within your body. And this civil war is destined to save, not cost, lives. The FDA has approved the first cell-based therapy for cancer. From FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb: “We’re entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient’s own cells to attack a deadly cancer.”

+ From Stat: Pioneering cancer drug, just approved, to cost $475,000 — and analysts say it’s a bargain.

+ And more on the science, and business, related to this new type of medicine in which “cells are harvested from a patient, genetically programmed to fight their cancer and then reintroduced to the patient.” Gilead’s $11.9 billion purchase of a groundbreaking cancer therapy could drag it into a new debate on prices.