Europe is on the cusp of approving a gene therapy for the first time, in what would be a landmark moment for the field.

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The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has considered the use of Glybera to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

One in a million people have the deficiency. They have damaged copies of a gene which is essential for breaking down fat.

It leads to fat building up in the blood, abdominal pain and life-threatening pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

The only way to manage the condition is by having a very low-fat diet.

The therapy uses a virus to infect muscle cells with a working copy of the gene.

It was recommended for patients with severe pancreatitis, who cannot control the disease through diet.