“[Living with sickle cell disease] is really hard sometimes because it's an invisible disease and you can’t see when someone is in pain or in need of help. It gets hard because you have to keep explaining to people how you feel, and sometimes they don’t believe you.”
Meet Shamonica — she has been living with
#sicklecell
her entire life and has always believed that one thing that needs to change is the level of education surrounding the condition. (1/6)
Why is it important to know the common blood disorders that may affect you? Because when something is wrong with your blood, it can affect your total health. Our flock wants you to
#knowthesigns
and talk to your doctor!
#LivingWithThalassemia
— Laurice has been living with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia for nearly 50 years. Every two weeks “like clockwork”, Laurice receives blood transfusions to manage her disease.
#ASH19
is right around the corner! In honor of the 61st annual conference, our birds wanted to chirp a little more on what the hematology space is all about.
The cause of multiple
#myeloma
is not known, and currently, there is no cure. But
#ASH18
shed light on the work many are doing to bring hope to patients.
#NewsfromtheNest
: We are thrilled to announce that the
@US_FDA
has approved our first gene therapy for adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions! Read more in our press release: [1/2]
#DYK
blood cancers like
#myeloma
cause the body to make too many blood cells, meaning not enough normal cells are made to keep you healthy? Learn more about your body’s mechanics before our birds fly off to next week’s
#ASH19
conference:
#mmsm
As we leave
#EHA24
, we’re inspired by the work being done to help those living with serious, life-altering diseases. They are why we push for new ways to recode the cells, reimagine the outcomes & rewrite the stories. See how our work unfolds at .
It’s trivia time and this week we have an interesting fill in the blank! Many people believe that having
#SickleCellDisease
makes you immune from contracting _____. Reply with your best guesses and stay tuned for tomorrow’s big reveal!
Time to test your knowledge with the birds
#triviatuesday
! Gene addition uses a delivery system called a ____ to insert new genes direct into the cells.
You’re not seeing double – we’ve got a second helping of good news this morning! We and
@Celgene
just announced that our anti-BCMA CAR T therapy has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA and PRIME designation by the EMA:
#CART
#PAOSpotlight
— Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (
@SCDAAorg
) is one of the many patient advocacy organizations bluebird bio collaborates with to help us connect with and learn from the communities we serve.
Fly over to to learn more.
Sickle cell is an unpredictable disease. Cory Lewis was diagnosed at the age of six and if there’s one lesson he’s learned through the years, it’s the importance of listening to your body and taking a holistic approach to treatment. (1/2)
Severe anemia. Slow growth. Symptoms of transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) often appear w/in the 1st 2 years of life & require lifelong blood transfusions for survival. That’s why conferences like
#ASH18
are so important. We're working to make hope a reality for patients.
β-thalassemia starts in the genes — the HBB gene, to be exact. The HBB gene provides instructions to create β-globin, an important component of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. β-thalassemia is caused by mutations in HBB that limit production of β-globin & reduces hemoglobin.
#ITD2020
A big step forward for our oncology franchise entering into an agreement to co-develop and co-promote our investigational anti-BCMA CART cell therapy with
@Celgene
. Our ambition is to bring new cell therapies to patients with cancer:
#CART
#trueblue
News From the Nest: Our first FDA approval! Together with
@BMSnews
, we deliver on novel treatment option for adults living with relapsed or refractory
#multiplemyeloma
#bbbNews
While
#Sicklecelldisease
is most prominent in Black and African American communities, it affects all races.
Lesly Chavez provides her insights into the challenges she faces as a Latina woman with the condition.
Learn more:
#HispanicHeritageMonth
Excited to announce that our investigational gene therapy for cerebral
#ALD
was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the
@US_FDA
. One step closer!
In the U.S., sickle cell disease is often perceived as a disease that only affects the Black community, but sickle cell disease can & does affect people of all races.
More info & patient resources:
#shinethelightonsicklecell
Living with
#SickleCellDisease
can be hard on the mental health of patients, caregivers, and loved ones.
Put yourself first — focus on self-care, spending time with friends & family, and doing things that make you happy. You’ve got this. (via
@sicklecell101
)
#TalktoyourDoctor
Some of our birds teamed up with others in the life science space to gather unused supplies & get them to hospitals in need through
@MassBio
. Imagine what we can do in partnership with the rest of the biotech community and YOU!
#ThisIsPersonal
Did you know? Sickle cell was the first diagnosed genetic disease and the first to be linked to hemoglobin protein.
Watch to learn more about the history of sickle cell disease.
WE ARE SO EXCITED to be recognized for the 2nd year in a row as one of Boston Business Journal’s Best Places to Work! It takes the hard work of every bird in the nest to make our culture as unique and enjoyable as it is. Way to go, birds!
#BBJBESTPLACES
#bluebirddays
Our newly formed group, bWILD (Women Influencing Leadership Development), has done a fantastic job recognizing International Women’s Day throughout the month. Big thanks to Wendy Dixon, a member of our BoD, who visited the nest 2 lead a discussion on empowerment & leadership.
#NewsfromtheNest
: We're pleased to share the outcome of the
#FDA
’s Cellular, Tissue, & Gene Therapies Advisory Committee discussion of our investigational
#genetherapy
for treatment of people w/
#betathal
who require regular red blood cell transfusions
#NewsfromtheNest
: We are thrilled to announce that the
@US_FDA
has approved our first gene therapy for patients ages 12 and older living with sickle cell disease who have a history of vaso-occlusive events. Read more in our press release: [1/1]
bluebird has landed! Now that we’ve touched down at
#EHA24
, we can't wait to be part of this year's conversations around the transformative potential of
#genetherapy
& share how we’re challenging convention & leading the gene therapy revolution
#EHA2019
What do you want the world to know about
#LivingWithSCD
? Tell us in the replies. ⬇️
bluebird bio Director of Patient Advocacy and
#SCD
caregiver Tonya Prince wants you to know that she will never let her loved one suffer in silence.
#NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth
Meet Tonya Prince, Director of Global Patient Advocacy on our
#SickleCellDisease
(SCD) team.
As a mother of an individual who lives with
#SCD
, Tonya practices advocacy day in and day out, both in the nest and beyond.
Learn more:
#DYK
— there are millions of people living with
#SickleCell
disease globally, but you wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at them.
Our flock sees you. And every day we continue our work to find new ways to recode and reimagine the outcomes.
#ThisIsPersonal
Answer: False. People with sickle cell disease aren't fueling the opioid problem. One study published in 2018 found that opioid use has remained stable among sickle cell patients over time, even as opioid use has risen in the U.S. generally.
This morning, we announced the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in North Carolina and the execution of multiple global supply agreements. Thanks to
@ncbiotech
for the great partnership!
Meet Blaze, a 29-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Blaze spent most of his childhood trying to be like the other kids. He would play hard just to prove that he could keep up. (1/4)
Fresh news from the nest - today, we announced that we've entered into a strategic partnership with
@TCBioPharm
. Watch out cancer, we're coming for you.
Meet Rev. Jimmie Williams, a sickle cell patient who was born in 1979 — a time when little was known about the disease.
From an early age, he didn’t have many crises or hospitalizations, but as he got older, the complications became more severe.
A heartfelt thank you to 3 incredible moms, caregivers, & pillars of the ALD community for joining our flock & sharing their stories this week. Thank you Kathleen O’Sullivan Fortin (
@ALDConnect
), Christie Higuera (
@MassGeneralNews
) & Elisa Seeger (
@aidanslaw
) for your dedication!
Today we announced that the FDA lifted its partial clinical hold for patients under the age of 18 in our sickle cell program. We are pleased to have answered the Agency’s questions and are working to resume enrollment of pediatric and adolescent patients:
These are the faces that make up our INCREDIBLE Patient Advocacy team. As we introduce you to them throughout the month of February, you'll come to recognize their dedication, passion and drive to help support the patient community.
#RDD19
#MeetTheFlock
News From the Nest: Today our flock is flying high! We've received positive opinion from CHMP recommending conditional marketing authorization for our investigational treatment for patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) in the EU
#bbbNews
#NewsFromTheNest
: We’re extremely pleased to share we have submitted the Biologics License Application (BLA) for our investigational gene therapy for
#sicklecelldisease
to the FDA. Fly over to our press release to learn more:
Today marks the grand opening of our Durham-based bluebird Research Triangle (bRT) facility! After 486 days, lots of hard work, & forging ahead as the pioneers with purpose that we are, this is everyone’s moment to celebrate! We are cheering on our bRT birds today!
#recodeforlife
To have two transformative gene therapy approvals for the
#sicklecelldisease
community, after nearly a century of underinvestment, is truly remarkable. bluebird bio has been working towards this moment for nearly a decade and recognizes that these approvals would not be possible…
Our flock wants you to know that cancer can take many different forms. For example, when it comes to blood cancers, did you know there are three major types? Learn more about the disease and what they affect below:
#mmsm
News from the nest! The European Medicines Agency (
@EMA_News
) has accepted our marketing authorization application for our investigational gene therapy:
#genetherapy
(1/2)
#NewsfromtheNest
: Today we announced the outcome of the
@US_FDA
’s Cellular, Tissue, & Gene Therapies Advisory Committee discussion of our investigational
#genetherapy
for
#CALD
. Read more:
Today we had Matthew Zachary, Founder & CEO of
@StupidCancer
, visit the nest & speak on what his nonprofit organization does to help support the cancer community. We are honored to have donated 2 an organization that is working 2 help better the lives of many. Thanks 4 visiting!
Got questions? We can help you find the answers! Our flock has put together a list of organizations that offer resources and information for patients, families, and caregivers living with
#CALD
,
#TDT
, and
#SCD
.
"We owe gratitude to the patients who participated in these two studies, whose courage is helping to make our goal to transform the standard of care for TDT possible.” Dave Davidson, bluebird’s Chief Medical Officer.
When Gina’s daughter Gia was born, a newborn screening test confirmed she had sickle cell disease. At 18 months old, she had her first hospitalization, prompted by a fever.
Since then, Gia has had five hospitalizations and eight blood transfusions.
News from the Nest: Our birds are chirping with excitement after hearing that the European Commission has granted conditional marketing authorization for our treatment for certain patients with transfusion-dependent
#betathalassemia
in the EU!
#bbbNews
Following our FDA approval, we are excited to share our patient support program, my bluebird support, focused on supporting patients and families at all phases of the gene therapy journey. Patients & caregivers, learn more:
#genetherapy
#PersistForPatients
That one time you walked into work and realized you didn't get the memo but all 800 birds did! You gotta hand it to us, Nick, we got you good!
#AprilFools
#lol
#bluebirddays
What’s in a name? Our chief bird, Nick, sat down with
@Allbirds
Co-Founder and Co-CEO Joey Zwillinger on his podcast to share more about the meaning behind our name ‘bluebird bio’.
#bluebirddays
#thisispersonal
Together we all can push boundaries, and drive change in
#sicklecell
. Every voice, no matter how big or small can transform lives and SPARK new conversations.
Introducing – a source of sickle cell information and resources.
True Blue congratulations to Illinois for rolling out
#newbornscreening
for adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Early detection is crucial as ALD affects 1 in 21,000 newborn males & approx 40% of boys diagnosed w/ ALD will develop cerebral ALD (CALD) - the most severe form of the disease
Now more than ever, it’s time to support patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) who face difficulties beyond their disease.
Patients with SCD can face implicit racial bias in the healthcare setting — whether it’s unconscious or conscious, it can influence treatment decisions.
Chief bluebird Nick Leschly recently accepted the Humanitarian of the Year award on behalf of the nest at the
@cooleysanemia
annual Celebration of Hope gala. So honored to be part of the event - we’ll continue to do all that we can to bring hope to patients in need!
#bluebirddays
New data from our LentiGlobin gene therapy programs in transfusion dependent thalassemia and sickle cell disease . Thank you to our study participants and their families, as well as our study sites and investigators.
Our
#SBLII
challenge with
@spark_tx
is ON! Each company will make a donation – if the
#Pats
win, the money goes to our charity of choice! If Philly wins, Spark gets to pick. In addition, the losing CEO has to dress like the winner for a day.
#GoPats
#NotDone
We may be rivals with our
@spark_tx
friends in Philly on the football field, but we’re united in our efforts to bring gene therapy to patients. Our
#SBLII
challenge is on – may the best team win!
#GoPats
It would take more than rain to dim our team’s excitement about being back in person at
#JPM23
to share updates on our mission to give patients and their families more bluebird days! Thanks for a great meeting – see you next year!
Hemoglobin levels matter.
HCPs: patients managed to a less-than-optimal hemoglobin level may experience anemia, which can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue and weakness to more severe symptoms, such as heart failure, diabetes, or organ malfunction. (1/4)
The U.S. FDA has communicated that an advisory committee meeting will not be scheduled for our investigational treatment for individuals with
#sicklecell
disease. Fly over to our press release to learn more:
News from the Nest: we’re excited to announce our partnership with
@seattlechildren
! We’re looking forward to working together to recode the options for patients with acute myeloid leukemia
#bbbNews
#RecodeForLife
News from the nest! We’ve been granted accelerated assessment by the European Medicines Agency for our investigational treatment for patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT)
#thalassemia
Look what we found! We knew this group shot existed but we had a hard time tracking it down. The final total of money raised for Special Olympics of Massachusetts was a mind-blowing $336,009 with bluebird raising $18,699. What a flock!
#bluebirddays
#SpOlympicsMA