Sept 16 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved bluebird bio's gene therapy for the treatment of a rare neurological disorder, the company said late on Friday.

"SKYSONA is the first FDA approved therapy shown to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction in boys" with early, active Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), the company said in a statement, saying CALD is a "devastating and fatal neurodegenerative disease."

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Jaiveer Shekhawatin in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Devika Syamnath and William Mallard)