Mary Chapman, features writer —

A $100,000 grant from Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) will help expand a novel nurse training program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) that aims to improve care for sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. The free training program — a “boot camp” for registered nurses —…

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) has granted its President’s Award to board-certified nurse practitioner Genice Nelson, PhD,  of UConn Health’s New England Sickle Cell Institute (NESCI) Nelson was honored for her hard work and “immeasurable” dedication to the sickle cell community, and specifically for her…

In a $5.4 billion deal, Pfizer fully acquired Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), bolstering its decades-long standing in the field of rare blood disorders, particularly regarding sickle cell disease (SCD). With the newly completed acquisition — plans were announced in August — Pfizer gains GBT’s therapy portfolio and pipeline.

Through a collaboration with Emmaus Life Sciences, Kier “Junior” Spates — of the nationally syndicated radio program “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” — will share his experiences with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the Emmaus treatment Endari (L-glutamine). The radio show features host Harvey and a team that…

Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) supports the recently introduced Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers Act of 2022 (HR 8855/S 4866), which calls for $535 million in annual funding for sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment, research, and education. Introduced on Sept. 15, the legislation would create a national network of…

To help bring awareness this month to sickle cell disease (SCD) and childhood cancers, the supplemental insurance provider Aflac recently engaged young patients with those disorders at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in south Florida through its My Special Aflac Duck social robot program. September is National Sickle Cell Awareness…

A cohort of African health ministers, with support from the African regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), has opened a campaign to improve sickle cell disease (SCD) awareness, prevention, and care in that continent, where most SCD patients reside. The effort seeks to curb the blood disorder’s…

In a move to enhance three decades of treatment development in rare hematology, Pfizer will acquire Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a biopharmaceutical company that has been a leader in sickle cell disease (SCD) therapeutics, for $5.4 billion. The acquisition brings GBT’s treatment portfolio and pipeline — and its…

A public policy alliance has launched to advocate for federal policies that address the “crisis of care” facing the approximately 100,000 sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in the U.S. The ad-hoc alliance, called the Sickle Cell Disease Partnership, comprises more than a dozen groups representing patient advocates, healthcare…

A comprehensive integrated sickle cell disease (SCD) clinic in southern California — funded by a $500,000 state grant — has been established to support the “highly affected” SCD patient population in San Bernardino County, according to a press release. The community clinic is housed at Loma Linda University…