Catarina Silva, MSc,  —

African Americans who inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene —  a condition known as sickle cell trait — are not at greater risk of cognitive decline or dementia. However, such genetic composition may influence other risk factors for cognitive impairment, researchers report. The study with that finding,…

Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) intends to improve access to high-quality healthcare for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the U.S. through the recently launched Access to Excellent Care for Sickle Cell Patients Pilot Program (ACCEL). The company will donate up to $150,000 to speed the development of…

The blood-separation device Spectra Optia, which has the ability to remove abnormal red blood cells from sickle cell patients, can efficiently and safely replace these cells with healthy red blood cells from donors, a study reports. The therapeutic tool also uses less red blood cell units than regular transfusion techniques,…

McKesson Plasma and Biologics LLC will distribute Endari, a therapy indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) in adult and pediatric patients age 5 and older. The announcement was made by the Endari’s developer, Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.. This distribution agreement enables…

Hoffmann-La Roche has sold the worldwide rights to its discontinued heart disease drug, inclacumab, to Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) for $2 million and milestone payments. GBT plans to investigate inclacumab as a treatment for painful blockages of blood vessels in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The technology transfer process…

Siklos (hydroxyurea 100 mg tablets) — indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients, ages 2 and older, with sickle cell anemia (SCA) — can now be ordered in U.S. pharmacies. Developed by French pharmaceutical company ADDMEDICA, Siklos is now exclusively marketed in the U.S. by Medunik USA…

The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia (SCFG) has partnered with Biotech Research Laboratories and the Phoenix Tears Foundation to raise money for the first clinical study focused on the effectiveness of cannabis oil in sickle cell disease (SCD)-related pain management. The initiative is in honor of World…

Loss of an important part of the antioxidant cell defense system decreases production of hemoglobin in the blood and worsens spleen damage and inflammation in a mouse model of sickle cell disease (SCD), researchers found. Findings were reported in the study, “Loss of Nrf2 function exacerbates…

Researchers used a gene editing tool to insert mutations into blood cells to increase their production of fetal hemoglobin, which may advance the development of new therapies for sickle cell anemia. The study, “Natural regulatory mutations elevate the fetal globin gene via disruption of BCL11A or ZBTB7A binding,” was…

Despite an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), preventive treatment (prophylaxis) rates remain low among these patients, a study shows. The research, “Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Children With Sickle Cell Anemia,” was published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the…