A treatment that corrects errors in people's genetic codes has for the first time been approved for commercial use in Europe.
The European Commission has given a small Dutch company the go-ahead to market the treatment.
Until now gene therapy has been used only in Europe and the United States in research laboratories.
The ABC reports that the European Commission has now given marketing authorisation for a treatment for lypoprotein lipase deficiency.
One in every million people have the disease which leaves them unable to properly digest fats.
Manufacturers say the treatment will be available next year. They are also applying for regulatory approval in the US and Canada.