Imagine being unable to remove a knife that’s constantly piercing an open wound or the pain of child labor... these are some of the ways Marie Ojiambo has described the “excruciating” pain of suffering from sickle cell disease.

Congress has designated September as “National Sickle Cell Awareness Month” to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of sickle cell disease . Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder of the blood that causes red blood cells to change shape in ways that block proper blood flow and oxygen from traveling throughout the body. This rare condition currently affects 90,000-100,000 Americans and, despite being in existence for over a century, limited treatment options are available.

In this Science Talk Marie Ojiambo teaches about the impact of our work in bringing viable clinical management options to the market for patients who suffer from this lifelong debilitating condition.