Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

The Bahrain Oncology Center now is among the first in the world to offer Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel), an approved gene-editing therapy, to people with sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT), a related blood disorder. That milestone, announced in a release by the country’s regulatory authority,…

Bluebird Bio has announced it’s completed collecting cells from the first sickle cell disease (SCD) patient receiving the gene therapy Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel), following its recent approval in the U.S. The cells were collected at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., which is part of the company’s…

Having male adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) undergo fertility testing by semen analysis may not be feasible if it involves travel to a reproductive diagnostic center, according to a recent study. Despite having access to reproductive health education and compensation to cover transportation costs, only 15% of adolescents…

Novartis is recalling its sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment Adakveo (crizanlizumab) in the U.K., after the nation’s drug regulatory agency revoked the conditional approval it had previously granted to the antibody-based therapy. The U.K. Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made its decision based on Adakveo’s failure…

Heavier menstrual bleeding and pain during menstrual periods appear to be prevalent among adolescents and young women with sickle cell disease (SCD), affecting their quality of life, but few of these patients use hormonal therapies to help regulate their cycles, a single-site U.S. survey study reported. Knowledge of what…

Skin grafts can ease pain associated with leg ulcers and improve wound healing in people with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a study in France. The procedure consists of the surgical collection of a piece of healthy skin on the body that is then transplanted to the injured…

A portrait of 4-year-old Kynnedi Sturges, who is living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Camden, Arkansas, was unveiled last week in an international art exhibit by the nonprofit Beyond the Diagnosis. Displaying artworks of 40 children with rare diseases, the exhibit is being hosted by…

The Georgia State University Research Foundation has received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the ongoing Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program in that state. Established by the CDC in 2015, the program seeks to assess the frequency of…

Corticosteroids taken during pregnancy are a risk factor for more severe vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in women with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a study in France. Particularly, this risk was higher in women with a more severe SCD type and evidence of more severe disease. Newborns exposed…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for use Trinity Biotech’s Premier Resolution System, an automated analyzer that can quickly and accurately detect and quantify hemoglobin variants. Hemoglobin is the protein that red blood cells use to carry oxygen through the bloodstream. Several hemoglobin variants identified…