Mary Chapman, features writer —

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $6.1 million grant to the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to advance knowledge of red cell disorders, such as sickle cell disease (SCD), to develop new and better treatments. SCD is caused by genetic mutations that ultimately result…

NMDP Cycle is kicking off cycling events throughout the U.S. to raise funds to help eradicate barriers to treatment for patients, including those with sickle cell disease (SCD), who need a blood stem cell transplant. Formerly known as the Be The Match Tour de TC, NMDP Cycle…

Suburban Propane joined the American Red Cross and other supporters in February to mark Black History Month with a blood drive that celebrated the life and work of Charles R. Drew, a renowned surgeon, medical researcher, and pioneer in blood transfusions. Drew was known as the “father…

A national £1.5 million ($1.9 million) technology investment in the U.K. is aiming to expand access to red blood cell exchange devices for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) living in North East England. The focus will be on improving treatment availability for underserved patients in urban, rural, and…

RoslinCT will manufacture the groundbreaking new gene therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in the U.S. and U.K. RoslinCT, a cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing company, has facilities in Edinburgh, Scotland and Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The company worked with Vertex…

A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating whether adding red blood cell exchange to standard-of-care improves outcomes for adults with high-risk sickle cell disease (SCD) is still recruiting at sites across the U.S., as well as in France and Brazil. The study, called Sickle Cell Disease and CardiovAscular Risk Red…

A $12.2-million grant awarded to the New York-based Mount Sinai Health System will enable a nationwide observational study to help better personalize sickle cell disease (SCD) treatments. “Sickle cell traditionally has been a neglected disease, but it benefited from a flurry of innovation over the last decade and…

To help heighten awareness of sickle cell disease (SCD) and pediatric cancers, while bringing comfort and relief to patients, the supplemental insurance provider Aflac recently gifted its My Special Aflac Duck social robot to children at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Children’s Hospital in Albuquerque. The delivery…

A $1.9-million federal grant has been awarded to a clinical trial that seeks to find effective ways to improve adherence to hydroxyurea treatment among children and young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). Marketed as Droxia and Siklos, hydroxyurea is an oral therapy approved to reduce the frequency…

Because many individuals of African ancestry don’t know they have the sickle cell trait or what it means to be a carrier, 23andMe and the nonprofit organization Sickle Cell 101 are collaborating to expand an awareness program. With the collaboration, up to 1,000 U.S. adults of African…