Agios Sponsors Program Promoting Health Literacy for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease
March 18 2021 - 7:00AM
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGIO), a leader in the field
of cellular metabolism to treat cancer and genetically defined
diseases, today announced it will sponsor Citizen Scientist:
Unpacking the Science of Sickle Cell Disease, an initiative
developed by the Sickle Cell Community Consortium (SCCC) to promote
health literacy for sickle cell patients. Within the Citizen
Scientist initiative, Agios will also serve as the founding sponsor
of a new series of episodes on Cheat Codes: A Sickle Cell Podcast
that will provide insight into important research emerging from
major medical and scientific congresses, starting with an inaugural
episode focused on the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH)
Annual Meeting, which was hosted virtually in December.
“While medical congresses are an important venue for physicians,
clinicians and other researchers to gather and discuss the latest
findings in treating sickle cell disease, that research is not
always accessible to patients and their families,” said Lakiea
Bailey, Ph.D., executive director of the SCCC. “The new podcast
series focused on explaining emerging research is part of a larger
initiative, Citizen Scientist: Unpacking the Science of Sickle Cell
Disease, designed to put the patient and caregiver in the seat of
the ‘expert.’ As a sickle cell disease patient myself, I recognize
the importance of not only understanding the science, but also
using our voices to help shape it.”
The SCCC is a U.S.-based non-profit formed in 2014 to “harness
and amplify the power of the patient voice” and is comprised of
sickle cell community-based organizations, patient and caregiver
advocates, community partners and medical and research advisers.
The organization recently launched its Citizen Scientist initiative
to provide comprehensive curriculum-based education, combined with
in-depth patient-physician communication and engagement. As part of
the initiative, the SCCC is collaborating with Cheat Codes as a
resource to improve access to medical and scientific research
surrounding sickle cell disease.
Cheat Codes brings listeners a series of segments and interviews
packed with critical education and research information that
patients and families need to know, as well as updates and
clarifications from the social media “buzz” around sickle cell.
Hosted by Ahmar U. Zaidi, M.D., (“Dr. Z”) and Michael U. Callaghan,
M.D., (“Dr. Mike”) from the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at the
Children’s Hospital of Michigan, the podcast will partner with the
SCCC to provide updates following major hematology conferences,
which in addition to ASH, will also include the European Hematology
Association (EHA) Virtual Congress and Annual Scientific Conference
on Sickle Cell and Thalassemia (ASCAT).
“In this era of innovation, as discussions are turning up around
sickle cell disease, too often the discussions are happening in
silos. Patients talk to patients, and doctors talk to doctors, but
there’s a disconnect between patients and their providers,” said
Dr. Zaidi. “We are incredibly grateful to join forces with the SCCC
to bring world-renowned physicians together with patients and
caregivers to have real conversations. Ultimately, we hope to give
listeners bite-sized, curated diamonds to hold onto that will help
them make informed decisions about their care.”
“Health literacy is core to our mission at Agios, where patients
are at the center of everything we do,” said Jackie Fouse, Ph.D.,
chief executive officer at Agios. “We are proud to support the
efforts of both SCCC’s Citizen Scientist initiative and Cheat Codes
to provide the sickle cell community with access to critical
information about better ways to manage their health and innovative
new treatments in development.”
For more information about the SCCC, please visit
sicklecellconsortium.org. To listen to the latest episode of Cheat
Codes, visit bloodstreammedia.com or search for Cheat Codes: A
Sickle Cell Podcast wherever you stream your podcasts. Dr. Zaidi
and Dr. Callaghan can be found on Twitter at @drzsicklecell and
@hemagineer, respectively.
About Agios PharmaceuticalsAgios is focused on
discovering and developing novel investigational medicines to treat
malignant hematology, solid tumors and genetically defined diseases
through scientific leadership in the field of cellular metabolism.
In addition to an active research and discovery pipeline across
these three therapeutic areas, Agios has two approved oncology
precision medicines and multiple first-in-class investigational
therapies in clinical and/or preclinical development. For more
information, please visit the company's website
at www.agios.com.
ContactHolly Manning, 617-844-6630Senior
Director, Investor RelationsHolly.Manning@agios.com
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