News

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…

Rates of life-threatening infections by pneumococcal bacteria have significantly declined, by about 80%, among children with sickle cell disease (SCD) since the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines 20 years ago. That’s according to a study analyzing more than two decades of healthcare data from young SCD patients in metropolitan…

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…

A scientist whose discoveries paved the way for the development of an investigational gene therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) and other blood disorders has been awarded the third Elaine Redding Brinster Prize in Science or Medicine. Stuart Orkin, MD, received the award — given annually to a researcher…

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…

Treatment with the investigational gene-editing therapy OTQ923 led to the sustained production of fetal hemoglobin and prevented vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in three adults with severe sickle cell disease (SCD), according to data from a Phase 1 study. The treatment involved collecting red blood cell precursors, called hematopoietic stem…

Preventive red blood cell transfusions may protect against complications associated with pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease (SCD), a 13-year study has found. Findings indicate that the rates of premature births, as well as SCD complications, such as vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and acute chest syndrome (ACS), are…

Point-of-care tests can be used to accurately diagnose sickle cell disease (SCD) in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent study. “Based on our experience and this study, we support the use of these [point-of-care] tests as standalone diagnostic tests for the early diagnosis of SCD…

HPC International has released new editions of Hope & Destiny, a book series that aims to help people with sickle cell disease (SCD) navigate life with the disorder. “We’re excited to get the new Hope & Destiny editions into the hands of the patients who need them, furthering our goal to…

Corticosteroids taken during pregnancy are a risk factor for more severe vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in women with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a study in France. Particularly, this risk was higher in women with a more severe SCD type and evidence of more severe disease. Newborns exposed…