News

Imara has completed patient enrollment for its Phase 2b Ardent clinical trial, which is testing the safety and efficacy of IMR-687 for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). “We are excited to have enrolled [participants] from across the world, including in Africa, making this a truly global…

Registration is now open for the 2021 Rare Diseases and Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit, which will be held virtually Oct. 18–19. The event, also known as the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Summit, brings the rare disease community together to network and discuss developments in treatments and research…

Biopharmaceutical company Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics has launched a new center focused on research and development (R&D) of gene editing and cell-based therapies to treat cancer and rare blood disorders, including sickle cell disease. “Our new R&D facility will provide us with the ability to advance our research and development…

More than 600 people participated in the 10th annual Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill 2021, held virtually July 14–22, to advocate for the rare disease community. Hosted by the EveryLife Foundation’s Rare Disease Legislative Advocates (RDLA) program, the event brings together community members from across the U.S. to…

Endari (L-glutamine), an approved oral treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD), has now been added to the Preferred Drug List in Texas. The move will make Endari more accessible to people in the state who are insured through Medicaid, the government program that provides health insurance to low-income…

Medical technology company Hemanext is partnering with the Silicon Valley-based nonprofit Sickle Cell 101 (SC101) to promote sickle cell disease education and awareness. The new partners will sponsor local, national, and global efforts to bring attention to the unmet needs of the more than 20 million people…

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) as young as age 4 could be prescribed Oxbryta (voxelotor) if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) submitted by the therapy’s developers. Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) is asking the FDA to expand the use of…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is applauding the Biden administration for announcing a rule to protect consumers from surprise medical billing, in a joint statement with 26 other U.S. patient organizations. The interim final rule will implement patient protections required by the No Surprises Act. Surprise…

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been awarded $8.39 million to fund a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CRISPR_SCD001, the first non-viral and CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD). Researchers will use the gene-editing technology to attempt to correct a genetic mutation in the blood…

AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, a specialty and home delivery pharmacy, is partnering with TailorMed, a healthcare technology company, to help lower out-of-pocket prescription costs for specialty pharmacy patients. Medications attained through specialty pharmacies are those used to treat rare and chronic conditions in the U.S., and are often extremely costly. For…