Global Blood Therapeutics: driving innovation in sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease – a rare, yet prevalent, genetic disease in Europe

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating, lifelong blood disorder that occurs when someone inherits sickle cell genes from both parents.¹ It affects haemoglobin, a protein carried by red blood cells that delivers oxygen throughout the body.² SCD predominantly affects those whose ancestors are from sub-Saharan Africa but is also common in people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European and Middle Eastern ancestry.³ While SCD is considered a rare disease in Europe, it is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases, affecting approximately 52,000 people in the region⁴ and millions of people throughout the world.