News

Enlargement of the left atrium, one of the heart’s upper chambers, is associated with a greater sickle cell disease (SCD) burden for patients, with more emergency department visits and blood test abnormalities, according to a new study from the U.S. A larger left atrium is believed to be a…

Preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease (SCD) living in so-called food deserts, or areas where access to healthy food is limited, and those without reliable transportation are at a higher risk of experiencing health issues than other youngsters with SCD, even when they receive good medical care, a study…

Mitem Pharma has acquired worldwide rights to Desferal (deferoxamine), a therapy commonly used to lower excessive and damaging iron levels induced by blood transfusions in people with sickle cell disease (SCD) or other anemias. The acquisition was reached in an agreement between Mitem and Novartis, which…

The number of stroke cases among adults and children with sickle cell disease (SCD) continues to increase in at least one U.S. state, indicating a need for greater adherence to standard-of-care blood transfusions and more attention paid to factors that can be controlled to reduce the risk of…

Pfizer has voluntarily withdrawn Oxbryta (voxelotor), a conditionally approved oral therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD), from worldwide markets, saying clinical data shows the treatment’s benefit “no longer outweighs the risk.” Citing an imbalance in vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and deaths occurring in patients given Oxbryta in postmarketing…

A Nigerian hematologist will pursue a PhD in health policy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to help advance her work on programs for sickle cell disease (SCD) in her home country. Aisha Galadanci Akilu, MD, helped implement a newborn screening program in Kano City, Nigeria, which…

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, a national collegiate women’s organization, has committed to raising $2 million by 2028 to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its efforts to treat children with sickle cell disease (SCD), cancer, and other serious conditions at no cost to their families. The…

People with sickle cell trait (SCT), those who carry a mutation in one copy of the HBB gene but do not have sickle cell disease (SCD), are at an increased risk of blood clots compared with people who don’t carry the trait regardless of racial or ethnic background, according…

One sickle cell disease (SCD) patient may need as many as 50 units of blood and up to 25 units of platelets for the new cell-based gene therapies such as Casgevy and Lyfgenia to be successfully administered, according to the American Red Cross. As a part of…

Using lactated Ringer’s solution instead of normal saline to replace lost fluids in adults admitted to the hospital for vaso-occlusive crises, that is, pain episodes caused by sickle cell disease (SCD), allows for shorter stays, fewer readmissions, and a reduced need for opioids, a study finds.  Dehydrated…