H.R. 1796: Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2025, aims to amend an existing law related to sickle cell disease. Specifically, it seeks to enhance the government's efforts in treating and preventing complications associated with sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that affects the shape and function of red blood cells. The main components of the bill are outlined below:

Key Provisions

• Amendments to Current Law: The bill proposes amendments to Section 1106(b) of the Public Health Service Act. The changes include:
  • Shifting the focus from just the prevention and treatment of sickle cell disease to also include the treatment of sickle cell disease and the prevention and treatment of complications arising from the disease.
  • Updating language to allow the government to make grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to support sickle cell disease research and treatment rather than solely entering contracts.
  • Increasing the federal funding allocation for sickle cell disease initiatives from $4,455,000 annually (for fiscal years 2019 through 2023) to $8,205,000 annually (for fiscal years 2025 through 2029).
• Research Encouragement: The bill expresses a sentiment from Congress that suggests there should be continued research to better understand the causes of sickle cell disease and other heritable blood disorders, with the ultimate goal of finding potential cures.

Funding Implications

The bill sets a specified financial commitment intended to support various initiatives related to sickle cell disease over a five-year period, substantially increasing the resources allocated in prior years. This funding is aimed primarily at enhancing treatment protocols, improving patient health outcomes, and facilitating further research efforts.

Overall Goals

By reauthorizing and increasing funding for sickle cell disease initiatives, the legislation aims to improve treatment options available for those affected by the disease, as well as to foster a better understanding of its complications and underlying causes. This represents a legislative step towards bolstering public health initiatives that address hereditary blood disorders.

Relevant Companies

• NBIX - Neurocrine Biosciences, which develops treatments for various neurological disorders and may look into sickle cell treatments.
• SNY - Sanofi, which has a strong pipeline in rare diseases, including blood disorders, and may be tasked with developing new therapies.
• AMGN - Amgen, involved in biopharmaceuticals, which could play a role in funding or research through grants associated with this bill.