Margarida Azevedo, MSc,  —

Pfizer and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) are collaborating to increase awareness about sickle cell disease and to discuss the need for improved patient care, as well as the importance of clinical trials. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that…

Clinical trial results show that Zepatier (elbasvir/grazoprevir) is highly effective against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in sickle cell disease patients and others with inherited blood disorders. The study with these findings, “Elbasvir/Grazoprevir for Patients With Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Inherited Blood Disorders: A Phase III Study,” was published in the journal…

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and Baylor College of Medicine plan to jointly create a treatment network for children with cancer and blood diseases in three sub-Saharan African countries. The $100 million initiative, Global HOPE (Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence), aims to build the medical capacity needed to diagnose and properly…

Modus Therapeutics, a company developing treatments specifically for sickle cell disease, has successfully completed a financing campaign that raised a total of 32 million Swedish krona (about €3.4 million euros) to develop sevuparin. Sevuparin is a proprietary polysaccharide drug with the potential to restore blood flow and prevent…

Using stem cells from a closely matched sibling increases the chance that a sickle-cell disease transplant will succeed, and the patient survive, a study reports. The study, “Sickle cell disease: an international survey of results of HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,” was published in the journal Blood. It…

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a biomarker that measures blood sugar levels, may systematically underestimate past glycemia among African-American patients with sickle cell trait (SCT). These findings highlight the importance of further evaluating this biomarker, which may be leading to misdiagnoses and poor treatment among black patients. The study “Association of…

Genetically engineered mini-pig models of sickle cell disease (SCD) that closely mimic the condition in people will be created as part of a contract with Exemplar Genetics. The models could help researchers find new treatments for the disease. The work will support the efforts of the National Institutes of…

Scientists in Boston are creating a stem cell library that could write a new chapter for far-reaching possibilities in sickle cell disease (SCD) research and innovative therapy development. The library comprises sickle cell disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can can renew as many times as necessary without any type…

African Americans who are carriers of the sickle cell trait (SCT) aren’t less fit and are not at greater risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome as they reach middle age compared to non-carriers, new research shows. The study, “Longitudinal association among sickle cell trait, fitness, and cardiovascular disease…

The American Red Cross has issued an urgent call for blood and platelet donors, citing the need to cover a shortage resulting from extreme winter weather and fewer collections. The organization, which provides about 40% of the blood supply in the United States, is asking eligible donors to make an appointment as…