GBT and Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Kick Off “Lift Every Voice to Shine the Light on Sickle Cell” Spoken W...
May 04 2021 - 7:00AM
In recognition of World Sickle Cell Day, which falls on June 19,
2021, Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) and
the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) today
launched “
Lift Every Voice to Shine the Light on Sickle
Cell” – a contest that will feature original spoken word
pieces to raise awareness of sickle cell disease (SCD). The
contest, which aims to elevate the voices and experiences of people
living with SCD and their caregivers, is presented by Sickle Cell
Speaks, GBT’s SCD education campaign that highlights authentic
stories of those living with SCD to dispel misconceptions about the
disease.
“People with sickle cell disease possess an incredibly rich and
diverse array of creative abilities, often used to express the
physical and emotional burden of living with this complex and
devastating disease,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, M.A., president
and CEO of the SCDAA. “Celebrating these voices is critical as we
work to overcome the legacy of stigma and misinformation that have
a direct impact on health outcomes. We are proud to partner with
GBT to shine the light on the challenges that SCD warriors face
with strength and resilience.”
Spoken word poetry is an art form rooted in traditions of
storytelling to convey compelling messages and personal
experiences. People living with SCD and their caregivers are
invited to sign up to submit videos of themselves performing
original spoken word pieces about their experience with SCD. To
learn more about the contest details and how to submit a video,
please email patientevents@sicklecellspeaks.info or visit
www.facebook.com/SickleCellSpeaks. Participants must sign up by May
24, 2021, and be U.S. residents. For each eligible submission
received, GBT will donate $100 to the SCDAA, up to a total donation
of $5,000. The contest winner will be featured in a GBT event at
the SCDAA Annual Convention in October 2021. “Shine the Light on
Sickle Cell” is a collaboration between SiNERGe and SCDAA.
“GBT is proud to partner with SCDAA to recognize the many
inspiring voices within the sickle cell community who have rallied
for progress in the face of tremendous health and societal
challenges over the last year,” said Jung E. Choi, chief business
and strategy officer, and head of patient advocacy and government
affairs at GBT. “People with SCD suffer from a terrible,
life-threatening disease that is made worse by being subjected to
racial bias. We reiterate our commitment to shining a brighter
light on the inequities these patients encounter and will continue
working with all our partners to ensure access to the high-quality
care patients deserve.”
Performances by the spoken word contest winner and finalists
will be featured in a virtual event on Friday, June 18, 2021, at
4:00 p.m. PT and Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. PT on the
Sickle Cell Speaks Facebook and Instagram pages. The event will be
hosted and feature performances by three SCD advocates who are
passionate about using spoken word to educate and inspire
change:
- Charly Richard, musician and writer
- DeMitrious Wyant, musician and entrepreneur
- Candis St. John, nurse and poet
About Sickle Cell DiseaseSickle cell disease
(SCD) affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States,1 an
estimated 52,000 people in Europe,2 and millions of people
throughout the world, particularly among those whose ancestors are
from sub-Saharan Africa.1 It also affects people of Hispanic, South
Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern ancestry.1 SCD is a
lifelong inherited blood disorder that impacts hemoglobin, a
protein carried by red blood cells that delivers oxygen to tissues
and organs throughout the body.3 Due to a genetic mutation, people
with SCD form abnormal hemoglobin known as sickle hemoglobin.
Through a process called hemoglobin polymerization, red blood cells
become sickled – deoxygenated, crescent-shaped, and rigid.3-5 The
sickling process causes hemolytic anemia (low hemoglobin due to red
blood cell destruction) and blockages in capillaries and small
blood vessels, which impede the flow of blood and oxygen throughout
the body. The diminished oxygen delivery to tissues and organs can
lead to life-threatening complications, including stroke and
irreversible organ damage.4-7
About SCDAASickle Cell Disease Association of
America (SCDAA) advocates for people affected by sickle cell
conditions and empowers community-based organizations to maximize
quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the
search for a universal cure. The association and more than 50
member organizations support sickle cell research, public and
professional health education and patient and community services.
Visit www.sicklecelldisease.org.
About Global Blood TherapeuticsGlobal Blood
Therapeutics (GBT) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the
discovery, development, and delivery of life-changing treatments
that provide hope to underserved patient communities. Founded in
2011, GBT is delivering on its goal to transform the treatment and
care of sickle cell disease (SCD), a lifelong, devastating
inherited blood disorder. The company has introduced Oxbryta®
(voxelotor), the first FDA-approved treatment that directly
inhibits sickle hemoglobin polymerization, the root cause of red
blood cell sickling in SCD. GBT is also advancing its pipeline
program in SCD with inclacumab, a P-selectin inhibitor in
development to address pain crises associated with the disease, and
GBT021601 (GBT601), the company’s next-generation hemoglobin S
polymerization inhibitor. In addition, GBT’s drug discovery teams
are working on new targets to develop the next wave of treatments
for SCD. To learn more, please visit www.gbt.com and follow the
company on Twitter @GBT_news.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Sickle Cell Disease
(SCD). https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html.
Accessed June 3, 2019.
- European Medicines Agency.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/orphan-designations/eu3182125.
Accessed June 12, 2020.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website.
Sickle Cell
Disease. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease.
Accessed August 5, 2019.
- Rees DC, et al. Lancet. 2010;376(9757):2018-2031.
- Kato GJ, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4:18010.
- Kato GJ, et al. J Clin Invest.
2017;127(3):750-760.
- Caboot JB, et al. Paediatr Respir Rev.
2014;15(1):17-23.
GBT Contact Information:Steven
Immergut650-410-3258simmergut@gbt.com
SCDAA Contact Information:Emma
Dayeday@sicklecelldisease.org
Kyri Jacobskjacobs@sicklecelldisease.org
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