News

Bluebird Bio has struck a deal with Medicaid in the state of Michigan to allow eligible people with sickle cell disease access to the now-approved gene therapy Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel). The new deal will provide Lyfgenia through an outcomes-based agreement — a financial structure in…

Tim Randolph, PhD, a scientist and professor at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, has been named a senior member of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for his work to develop low-cost diagnostic tools for sickle cell disease. The NAI Senior Members Program recognizes the spirit…

People with sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait (SCT) face an increased risk of hospitalization and mortality following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, compared with the general population, according to a pooled analysis of published studies. Researchers also noted that kidney complications after COVID-19…

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…

Novartis is recalling its sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment Adakveo (crizanlizumab) in the U.K., after the nation’s drug regulatory agency revoked the conditional approval it had previously granted to the antibody-based therapy. The U.K. Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made its decision based on Adakveo’s failure…

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…

Nearly 1 in 3 children and teens with sickle cell disease (SCD) reports persistent or chronic pain, according to a new study that tested how well routine screening for pain worked as a tool to help identify those pediatric patients with the greatest need for interventions. “Pain screening fit…

Nearly 3 in every 4 people with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the U.S. are not using an approved, disease-modifying therapy (DMT), according to a nationwide claims analysis. These patients tend to be older and to have relatively milder disease — the lowest prevalence of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs)…

The European Commission has granted conditional approval to the gene-editing therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for patients ages 12 and older with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT), two blood disorders. Eligible patients include those with SCD who experience recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and…

Heavier menstrual bleeding and pain during menstrual periods appear to be prevalent among adolescents and young women with sickle cell disease (SCD), affecting their quality of life, but few of these patients use hormonal therapies to help regulate their cycles, a single-site U.S. survey study reported. Knowledge of what…