Hematology News

ASH announced this year’s recipients of its honorific awards.

Escalated dosing of hydroxyurea had greater clinical efficacy than fixed dosing of the drug for children with sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa, according to randomized study results published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

World Sickle Cell Day is held every June 19.

While currently there is no cure for systemic amyloidosis, treatment options have recently expanded and have led to improved survival for both wild-type transthyretin and light-chain type amyloidosis that most commonly affect the heart.

Dhruv S. Kazi, MD, cardiologist and cardiovascular health economist at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, spoke with Healio about how tafamidis (Vyndamax, FoldRx/Pfizer) has changed the outlook of amyloidosis, but cost may remain a substantial barrier to access.

LentiGlobin gene therapy led to reductions in sickle cell disease-related complications and hemolysis, according to results of a phase 1/phase 2 trial presented at the virtual American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting.

Thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin alone appeared noninferior to thromboprophylaxis combined with graduated compression stockings for individuals at moderate or high risk for venous thromboembolism after elective surgery, according to results of a randomized study published in BMJ.

Two randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials at Johns Hopkins Medicine aim to determine whether blood plasma will be effective as prophylaxis against COVID-19, a strategy that would be “enormously valuable” and has been efficacious against other viral diseases.

Acute and chronic bleeding episodes are the most common complications associated with hemophilia.

Robert Bona, MD, has been appointed director of the benign hematology program and professor of medicine at Smilow Cancer Hospital, part of Yale Cancer Center.