Anemia News and Research

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Anemia is a decrease in normal number of red blood cells (RBCs) or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin deficiency. The three main classes of anemia include excessive blood loss (acutely such as a hemorrhage or chronically through low-volume loss), excessive blood cell destruction (hemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production (ineffective hematopoiesis). Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes. Anemia can be classified in a variety of ways, based on the morphology of RBCs, underlying etiologic mechanisms, and discernible clinical spectra, to mention a few.

Unexplained, sudden anemia: Brown recluse spider bite

As spring approaches and people return to outdoor activities, caution should be taken in areas of the country that are home to Loxosceles reclusa, also called the brown recluse spider. A new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital found that when patients present with sudden anemia, but the cause is elusive, the brown recluse spider should be part of the differential diagnosis, at least in parts of the nation where the spider is regularly found.

27 Feb 2010

Midlothian Laboratories donates more than $3M worth of vitamins, nutritional supplements to AmeriCares

Midlothian Laboratories, a division of Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc., as part of its continuing humanitarian relief efforts, recently donated more than $3 million worth of essential vitamins and nutritional supplements to AmeriCares for people in the developing world living in extreme poverty and suffering from chronic malnutrition.

27 Feb 2010

Shire receives marketing approval from FDA for VPRIV

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing approval for VPRIV, a human cell line derived enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for the long-term treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease in pediatric and adult patients.

27 Feb 2010

Rare Disease Day 2010: Alexion Pharmaceuticals joins NORD and EURORDIS to raise awareness

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has joined the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and the European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) in supporting the goals of the third annual Rare Disease Day, February 28, 2010.

26 Feb 2010

Salmonella-infected mice help understand how symptoms of HLH develop

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows mice infected with the bacteria salmonella develop clinical signs consistent with a deadly and poorly understood human inflammatory disease, a finding that may lead to new therapies.

26 Feb 2010

PointCare Technologies donates rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics

PointCare Technologies, pioneer inventor of a portable diagnostic system that enables effective HIV/AIDS monitoring for millions of people in remote areas of developing countries, has donated 4,000 (a month's supply) of its rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics to ensure the resumption of critical care to HIV/AIDS patients.

24 Feb 2010

Strategies to reduce inappropriate treatment by clinicians

Clinicians may use one of several approaches to deny patient requests for an inappropriate treatment while preserving the physician-patient relationship, according to a report in the February 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Feb 2010

Hess to be honored with Target Hunger Harvesting Hope Humanitarian Award for addressing social issues

Target Hunger, a nonprofit agency working to alleviate hunger and its root causes in the heart of Houston’s inner city, will honor Hess Corporation with the Target Hunger Harvesting Hope Humanitarian Award for their work in the community to address social issues.

22 Feb 2010

Two genetic alterations linked to benign enzyme condition keep hepatitis C patients anemia-free

Many people who undergo treatment for hepatitis C develop hemolytic anemia, a disorder that destroys red blood cells. In some cases, it is so severe they have to reduce their medication or stop therapy altogether. But now, scientists in Duke University's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have discovered two genetic alterations linked to a benign enzyme condition that keep some patients anemia-free.

21 Feb 2010

Novartis' Tasigna capsules granted priority review by FDA for treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML

Novartis announced today that Tasigna® (nilotinib) 200 mg capsules has been granted priority review by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase.

19 Feb 2010

Blood transfusions based on single low hematocrit measurement questioned

A comparison study of nearly 1,900 patients published in Perfusion, a peer-reviewed academic journal, questions the long-standing practice of basing blood transfusion decisions on a single low hematocrit measurement result. In the study, titled Is it the Patient or the Physician who Cannot Tolerate Anemia?, researchers showed that a single measure of hematocrit is not a reliable indicator of transfusion need and that lower-than-normal hemoglobin levels have no adverse impact on patients.

19 Feb 2010

Six states to study sickle cell disease and thalassemias in national pilot project

Medical researchers are developing a new surveillance system to determine the number of patients diagnosed with a family of inherited blood disorders known as hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease, thalassemias, and hemoglobin E disease.

19 Feb 2010

Gilead Sciences’ “Quad” regimen for HIV exhibits antiretroviral activity comparable to Atripla

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced Phase II clinical trial results today showing that its investigational fixed-dose single-tablet “Quad” regimen of elvitegravir, GS 9350 (cobicistat) and Truvada® (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of HIV infection exhibited antiretroviral activity comparable to that of Atripla® (efavirenz 600 mg/ emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg).

18 Feb 2010

FDA approves risk management program on ESA's for treating anemia due to chemotherapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a risk management program to inform healthcare providers and their patients about the risks of a class of drugs called Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs). For patients with cancer, the program is also designed to help ensure the appropriate administration of these drugs, which they receive to treat anemia that can occur as a result of chemotherapy.

17 Feb 2010

Amgen and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products: FDA approves REMS for Aranesp, EPOGEN and PROCRIT ESAs

Amgen Inc. and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), which include Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa), EPOGEN® (Epoetin alfa) and PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa).

17 Feb 2010

Special issue reviews current state of science in fetal therapy

Repairing birth defects in the womb. Inserting a tiny laser into the mother's uterus to seal off an abnormal blood flow and save fetal twins. Advancing the science that may allow doctors to deliver cells or DNA to treat sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases before birth.

17 Feb 2010

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia awarded two grants to research into cellular therapies for blood disorders

The new decade may herald an era of cell therapy -- treating human diseases by delivering highly specific beneficial cells. In the wake of an NIH decision late last year permitting federally funded researchers to use new lines of human embryonic stem cells, the door has opened more widely to stem cell research.

16 Feb 2010

Structure of 'DNA repair engine' that reverses beneficial effects of chemotherapy deciphered

Cancer Research UK scientists have deciphered the first structure of 'a DNA repair engine' that reverses the beneficial effects of chemotherapy, according to research published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology* today.

15 Feb 2010

Transition through hemogenic endothelial intermediate necessary for hematopoietic stem cell formation

Biologists at UC San Diego have identified the specific region in vertebrates where adult blood stem cells arise during embryonic development.

14 Feb 2010

Genzyme announces 2-year data from eliglustat tartrate Phase 2 trial for Gaucher disease

Genzyme Corporation announced today two-year follow-up data from patients enrolled in the phase 2 clinical trial for its investigational oral therapy for Gaucher disease type 1 known as eliglustat tartrate (formerly Genz-112638). Continued improvements were observed across all endpoints, including bone disease, at the two-year timepoint, compared with baseline. The two-year results were presented for the first time today at the Lysosomal Disease Network WORLD Symposium in Miami, Fla.

12 Feb 2010

Anemia News and Research

Further Reading

Unexplained, sudden anemia: Brown recluse spider bite

Midlothian Laboratories donates more than $3M worth of vitamins, nutritional supplements to AmeriCares

Shire receives marketing approval from FDA for VPRIV

Rare Disease Day 2010: Alexion Pharmaceuticals joins NORD and EURORDIS to raise awareness

Salmonella-infected mice help understand how symptoms of HLH develop

PointCare Technologies donates rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics

Strategies to reduce inappropriate treatment by clinicians

Hess to be honored with Target Hunger Harvesting Hope Humanitarian Award for addressing social issues

Two genetic alterations linked to benign enzyme condition keep hepatitis C patients anemia-free

Novartis' Tasigna capsules granted priority review by FDA for treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML

Blood transfusions based on single low hematocrit measurement questioned

Six states to study sickle cell disease and thalassemias in national pilot project

Gilead Sciences’ “Quad” regimen for HIV exhibits antiretroviral activity comparable to Atripla

FDA approves risk management program on ESA's for treating anemia due to chemotherapy

Amgen and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products: FDA approves REMS for Aranesp, EPOGEN and PROCRIT ESAs

Special issue reviews current state of science in fetal therapy

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia awarded two grants to research into cellular therapies for blood disorders

Structure of 'DNA repair engine' that reverses beneficial effects of chemotherapy deciphered

Transition through hemogenic endothelial intermediate necessary for hematopoietic stem cell formation

Genzyme announces 2-year data from eliglustat tartrate Phase 2 trial for Gaucher disease

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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