ASH Clinical News June 2015 | Page 17

CLINICAL NEWS If this technology proved effective in converting any-type blood into the universal donor type O and feasible on a large scale, the effect would be transformational. Blood banks tend to lean heavily on donors who are type O, particularly if their blood also is RH-negative, the authors noted. About 11 percent of hospital transfusions involve donated type O, RH-negative blood; however, this specific blood type is in short supply, with only about 6 percent of the population carrying it. “This is a significant step toward developing [methods] for the complete removal of blood group antigens,” the authors wrote, “allowing for blood transfusions and organ and tissue transplants from donors that would otherwise be mismatched.” Source: Kwan DH, Constantinescu I, Chapanian R, et al. Toward efficient enzymes for the generation of universal blood through structure-guided directed evolution. J Am Chem Soc. 2015;137:5695-705. House Committee Approves the 21st Century Cures Act to Accelerate Drug Approvals On May 21, a U.S. House of Representatives committee unanimously approved a bill, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, that would bring new drugs to the market more quickly. The bill, developed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, requires the U.S. FDA to incorporate patient experience into its decision making, streamline its review of drugs for additional uses, and consider more flexible forms of clinical trials. The draft