The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two cell-based gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD), Casgevy from CRISPR/Vertex and Lyfgenia from bluebird bio. These are the first treatments of their kind available to individuals with SCD in the United States. SCDAA welcomes the approval of these potentially curative therapies which mark major advances in the treatment of sickle cell disease; however, there are valid.....

Learn more about how to stay healthy leading up to, during and after a pregnancy with these newly developed fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders, the American Society of Hematology and the Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive......

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc., (SCDAA) is saddened to hear the news of the passing of Dr. Lennette Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin was a trailblazing physician who made many outstanding contributions to the sickle cell community. She was one of the first to establish a “day hospital” as an alternative to the emergency room for pain management – an approach that is today.....

Welcome to CMO Speaks, a blog featuring the voices of SCDAA’s clinical leadership team. This article was written by Dr. Lewis Hsu, SCDAA’s chief medical officer. The Emergency Department is no one’s favorite place, but unfortunately individuals with sickle cell disease may pay it frequent visits for emergency care. Encountering problems in ED care is distressingly common. During the SCDAA Annual National Convention in October.....

NEW RESOURCE AVAILABLE: This tool from the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers can help sickle cell providers make important decisions about dosage when prescribing opiates. The calculator was developed was Paula Tanabe, RN, Ph.D., and Patricia Kavanagh, M.D., through a grant funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. .....

Welcome to CMO Speaks, a blog featuring the voices of SCDAA’s clinical leadership team. This is part two of a three-part series on gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Part two was written by Dr. Lewis Hsu. What comes up for you when you hear the words “gene therapy?” If it makes you feel overwhelmed, skeptical and/or confused, you’re not alone. There are a lot.....

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant for sickle cell disease from HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) after myeloablative conditioning has been proven as curative therapy for sickle cell disease for over 25 years. It is no longer considered an experimental procedure. Over 2,000 transplants have been performed successfully across the world from HLA-matched sibling donors. Pooled Overall Survival rates for children and adults are high at 97% and.....

Sept. 16, 2023 – The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) infections seem to have settled down, and we are now seeing waves of infections with new variants. As facemasks come off and isolation rules end, everybody has higher chances of catching other respiratory infections, such as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza (flu). SCDAA’s Medical and Research Advisory Committee (MARAC) endorses a shared-decision-making process about.....

HANOVER, MD – Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), the leading national organization and voice for people with sickle cell disease (SCD), today launched a pilot program with MedicAlert Foundation to enhance the safety and well-being of people living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Acute pain episodes known as sickle cell crises are one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of SCD. These.....