News

Meningitis — an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord — remains associated with a case-fatality rate of nearly 30% in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to the findings of a new two-decade study from France. This is despite vaccinations for SCD children…

Many adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) aren’t having recommended depression screenings nor regularly visiting their primary care providers (PCPs), even though most have a registered PCP, a study reports. “Despite a higher overall rate of depression in this population … most youth are not being screened for depression…

A program that provides integrated primary and specialist care for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) significantly reduced emergency department visits, according to a study from Massachusetts General Hospital. “Our Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Center (CSCDC) is one of few comprehensive adult care models that integrates [primary care physicians]…

Sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle cell trait (SCT) can increase the risk of eye diseases associated with diabetes mellitus, according to a recent study. Findings indicated patients who had diabetes along with SCT or SCD were more likely to have procedures to treat eye disease and poorer overall…

Top-line data from the Phase 3 part of RISE UP, a clinical trial testing mitapivat in people with sickle cell disease (SCD), are expected by the end of the year, according to developer Agios Pharmaceuticals. If those results are positive and mitapivat wins regulatory approval for SCD, it…

Hydroxyurea, an approved medication to reduce the frequency of pain crises associated with sickle cell disease (SCD), may ease sleep-disordered breathing in children, perhaps by reducing inflammation, according to a study conducted at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis. “Hydroxyurea therapy was associated with improved breathing…

An ongoing, early-phase clinical trial of pociredir, an oral small molecule being developed by Fulcrum Therapeutics as a possible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD), is still recruiting adult patients at locations in the U.S. and one in South Africa. This Phase 1b trial, called PIONEER (NCT05169580),…

The use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) to assess the presence of blood clots in lung blood vessels increased significantly in people with sickle cell disease (SCD) after 2020, a study in Bahrain shows. The study indicates that a third of patients underwent several scans, many of which…

More perceived social support from classmates is associated with less disease severity among children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia, the most common and often the most severe form of sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a new study from researchers in Nigeria. Social support from parents also was…

Long-term treatment with hydroxyurea reduces emergency department visits and days spent in the hospital for children with sickle cell anemia, the most common and usually the most severe form of sickle cell disease (SCD), a real-world study has found. Consistent benefits among pediatric patients given the approved…