Bristol Myers Squibb brings new hope to adult patients in Egypt affected by transfusion dependent anemia associated with beta thalassemia

Bristol Myers Squibb brings new hope to adult patients in Egypt affected by transfusion dependent anemia associated with beta thalassemia

- The main treatment option available in Egypt is a bone marrow transplant, which is only viable for a small portion of patients

Cairo, Egypt : Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), the leading global pharmaceutical company, announced today the commercialization of its first-in-class therapy (or prescription medicine) indicated for the treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anemia associated with beta thalassemia.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, characterized by the production of an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein within red blood cells that the body needs to carry oxygen. The disorder leads to anemia and other serious symptoms, such as bone abnormalities and growth deficiencies. Patients living with thalassemia are often required to receive lifelong red blood cell transfusions to support normal growth and development, maintain quality of life and increase life expectancy.

According to the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF), around 56,000 infants are born annually with thalassemia. In Egypt, it has been estimated that one thousand children out of 1.5 million live births are born each year suffering from the disease . It is also reported that the carrier rate in Egypt is between 9 to 10% of the population , and with around 10,000 patients of all ages receiving treatment.

Prof. Mona