Patient Advocates, Healthcare Providers and Policy Makers to Discuss the Latest Advances and Future Trends for Treating Patients with SCD
Conference Taking Place During National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Livestream of Conference will be Available through Collaboration with Sickle Cell Warriors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., and BALTIMORE, Sept. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) today announced that they will host the 8th Annual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Therapeutics Conference on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, at The Westin Washington, D.C. U.S. Representative Robin Kelly, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, will deliver the keynote address.
Taking place during National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the SCD Therapeutics Conference will highlight the latest medical advances and future trends in the treatment of patients with SCD. In addition to Rep. Kelly’s keynote address, the program will feature panel discussions and presentations from leading physicians, patient advocates and healthcare policymakers on a range of issues and topics, including the impact of SCD on the brain and cognitive function and hot topics in SCD from the perspective of patients and caregivers. The Conference will also feature updates from the American Society of Hematology Research Collaborative’s SCD Clinical Trials Network and the Sickle Cell Community Consortium, as well as presentations from biopharmaceutical industry leaders.
“We are honored to host, in partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the annual SCD Therapeutics Conference for the third year in a row, as it will bring together patient advocates, opinion leaders and clinical experts,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and chief executive officer of GBT. “Support and collaboration across the broader community is essential as we work together to try to fundamentally transform how SCD is treated. We are optimistic that this year’s Conference will spur important discussions as we continue to pursue our shared mission of making a meaningful difference in the future of SCD care.”
“As co-hosts of the annual SCD Therapeutics Conference, we are thrilled to help advance meaningful discussions aimed at understanding and addressing the needs of the SCD community,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, B.A., M.A., president and chief executive officer of SCDAA. “It is necessary that we continue to learn and grow based on the latest advancements that will be discussed at the Conference, in addition to understanding future issues and trends for treating patients with SCD.”
The 8th Annual SCD Therapeutics Conference will feature the following speakers and panelists:
- Biree Andemariam, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut
- Lakiea Bailey, Ph.D., Founder, Sickle Cell Community Consortium
- Velvet Brown-Watts, Founder-Chairperson, Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease
- Chuck Chesson, Ph.D., Director, Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials Network
- Jew-EL Darbone, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
- Jeremie Estepp, M.D., Medical Director, Clinical Translation Program in Hematology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Beverley Francis-Gibson, B.A., M.A., President and Chief Executive Officer, SCDAA
- André Harris, CHW, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
- The Honorable Robin Kelly, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, United States House of Representatives
- Allison King, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Pediatrics, Medicine, Surgery (Prevention and Control) and Education, Washington University School of Medicine
- Hertz Nazaire, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
Additionally, multiple companies that are developing treatments for patients with SCD will present at the Conference. They include Addmedica, CRISPR Therapeutics/Vertex, Cyclerion, Emmaus Life Sciences, GBT, Imara and Sanofi.
To ensure that those who are unable to attend the Conference can benefit from the presentations and information sharing, GBT is collaborating with Sickle Cell Warriors, an SCD community organization, to livestream from the Conference on the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SickleCellWarriors. Following the event, GBT will post videos on its corporate YouTube channel. For more information about the Conference or to register to attend, visit http://www.scdconference.com.
GBT is partnering with a number of organizations during the month of September to provide education and increase awareness of SCD through social media promotion, educational material development and sponsorship of local educational and awareness events.
About Sickle Cell Disease
SCD is a lifelong inherited blood disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the beta-chain of hemoglobin, which leads to the formation of abnormal hemoglobin known as sickle hemoglobin (HbS). In its deoxygenated state, HbS has a propensity to polymerize, or bind together, forming long, rigid rods within a red blood cell (RBC). The polymer rods deform RBCs to assume a sickled shape and to become inflexible, which causes hemolytic anemia (low hemoglobin due to RBC destruction) that can lead to multi-organ damage and early death. This sickling process also causes blockage in capillaries and small blood vessels. Beginning in childhood, SCD patients typically suffer unpredictable and recurrent episodes or crises of severe pain due to blocked blood flow to organs, which often lead to psychosocial and physical disabilities.
About GBT
GBT is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company determined to discover, develop and deliver innovative treatments that provide hope to underserved patient communities. GBT is developing two therapies for the potential treatment of sickle cell disease, including its late-stage product candidate, voxelotor, as an oral, once-daily therapy. To learn more, please visit www.gbt.com and follow the company on Twitter @GBT_news.
About SCDAA
SCDAA’s mission is: To advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure. Visit www.sicklecelldisease.org.
Contact Information:
Stephanie Yao (investors and media)
GBT
650-741-7730
media@gbt.com
Laura Brown (media)
SCDAA
410-528-1555
lbrown@sicklecelldisease.org