Latest news with #RedBloodCells
Health Line
a day ago
- Health
- Health Line
What Causes Anemia?
Anemia may develop from having too few red blood cells or too little hemoglobin, the iron-rich protein that carries oxygen to all of your organs. Anemia is a signal that your body's capacity to transport oxygen to every organ has been compromised. This can cause unsettling symptoms like fatigue and breathlessness. Anemia can result from multiple and overlapping disruptions to your body's natural cycles and processes, especially in the making, carrying, and recycling of red blood cells. Acute anemia often results from unexpected or rapid blood loss. Chronic forms of anemia may develop gradually and have multiple causes. Common causes of anemia The most common causes of chronic anemia include: Your body isn't making enough red blood cells Your body needs certain nutrients — especially iron, vitamin B12, and folate — to build healthy red blood cells. If you don't get enough of these nutrients, or if your body can't use them properly, red blood cell production slows down. Iron deficiency The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron in your body. This can happen if you're not eating enough iron-rich foods, or if your body has trouble absorbing or holding on to the iron you do eat. When there isn't enough iron in the blood, your body cannot make enough hemoglobin. This protein in red blood cells carries oxygen. As a result, your red blood cells may be smaller and lighter in color than usual, and some organs that need oxygen the most, like your brain and heart, may not be able to work as expected. Causes of iron deficiency anemia may include: Vitamin B deficiency Your body also needs vitamin B12 and folate (a type of vitamin B) to make red blood cells. Without these vitamins, the bone marrow creates cells that are too large and don't work properly. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, also known as megaloblastic anemia, can cause symptoms like fatigue and weakness. It may also manifest with hand or foot numbness or memory challenges. Causes of vitamin B deficiency may include: not eating enough animal products living with digestive conditions where the body can't absorb vitamin B12 taking certain medications that interfere with nutrient absorption being pregnant having digestive diseases that affect folate levels Your body is losing blood Another common cause of anemia is that the body loses red blood cells faster than it can create new ones. This can result from a single event (like surgery or an accident) or slowly over time. It is related to the above cause of nutrient deficiency. The most common causes of blood loss that lead to anemia include: heavy menstrual periods stomach or intestinal bleeding internal bleeding from injuries or surgery bleeding disorders, like hemophilia or persistent nosebleeds frequent blood donations without giving your body time to catch up Your body is destroying red blood cells too early Red blood cells usually live for 120 days. After that, your body replaces them. But sometimes, the immune system or living with specific conditions may lead your body to destroy red blood cells when they are still young. When this happens, your body may not have time to make enough new red blood cells, and this can lead to a type of anemia known as hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia isn't as common as nutrient deficiency anemia, but it may become more serious. Common causes of hemolytic anemia may include: autoimmune conditions in which the body attacks its own red blood cells systemic infections inherited conditions, like sickle cell disease or thalassemia toxin poisoning side effects of medications »Learn more: How to increase red blood cell count Your body is fighting a long-term condition Some health conditions may make it harder for your body to produce healthy red blood cells. Anemia of chronic disease or anemia of inflammation is common in people with: kidney disease cancer diabetes HIV rheumatoid arthritis lupus Chronic inflammation makes your liver produce a hormone called hepcidin, which interferes with your body's ability to move stored iron into the bloodstream. Your iron reserves live mostly in the liver. So, when your liver doesn't release enough iron, your red blood cell production decreases, even if you are not low in iron. This type of anemia may develop gradually and not cause evident symptoms at first. Your bone marrow isn't working properly Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow (tissue inside your bones). Problems with the marrow mean your body can't produce as many red blood cells as it needs. This is a rare but serious occurrence. Conditions that may affect the health of your bone marrow include: myelodysplastic syndromes, where the bone marrow produces cells that don't work well blood cancers, like leukemia cancer therapy, like chemotherapy and radiation therapy What increases your chances of anemia? Anyone can develop anemia, but some people may have a higher chance of developing it based on their health, age, sex, and lifestyle. You may be at a higher risk of anemia if you: menstruate, and especially if your periods are heavy and prolonged are pregnant, because your body needs more iron and vitamins to support your baby's development are still developing mentally and physically, because the body needs more nutrients during childhood and adolescence are an older adult, especially over the age 65, because nutrient absorption is more likely to be compromised are vegan or vegetarian have had surgery, especially stomach or intestinal procedures live with a chronic disease take medications, like acid reducers, chemotherapy, or seizure drugs have a family or personal history of blood disorders have intestinal parasites have had major blood loss Takeaway The main causes of anemia include nutrient deficiency (mostly iron and vitamin B) and impaired red blood cell production. Anemia responds to treatment, and the first step to management is identifying the root cause. A healthcare professional may want to gather more information about your medical history and perform tests, like bloodwork. If you experience persistent symptoms like unexplained fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations, consider seeking medical care for testing. A primary care physician can help with the first steps.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Co-Investigator of Clinical Safety Study Presents at EHA
Lexington, MA August 19, 2025 --( )-- Hemanext Inc., a leading innovator in blood processing, storage, and transfusion technology, announces that the data from its safety study was accepted in the form of an oral presentation at the European Hematology Association 2025 Congress that took place in Milan, Italy on June 12-15. Co-Investigator Håkon Reikvam presented the results of the Hematological Malignancies cohort in a presentation titled 'Safety of Hypoxic Red Blood Cell Administration in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent Hematological Malignancies,' as a prelude to a larger study. The full clinical study was designed to evaluate the safety profile of hypoxic red blood cells (RBCs) in chronically transfused patients with hematologic malignancies and acutely bleeding burn patients. The study, that was completed in Q4 2024, has been submitted for publication. Håkon Reikvam, Professor at University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, states, 'We are thrilled to share our safety findings with the medical community. This cohort analysis serves as a foundational pillar for our upcoming efficacy trials. It not only strengthens the scientific rationale behind our approach but also lays the groundwork for the next phase of our research.' The HEMANEXT ONE RBC Processing and Storage system limits oxygen, the fuel for oxidative damage, providing a higher quality blood product (1,2,3). It has the potential to benefit all patients requiring transfusions for chronic conditions, such as thalassemia (4), sickle cell disease (5), and myelodysplastic syndromes (6), as well as those in need of critical transfusions during acute bleeding in surgery, trauma and other medical procedures (7). About Hemanext Hemanext is a privately held medical technology company based in Lexington, MA, that is dedicated to improving the quality, safety, efficacy, and cost of transfusion therapy. The company's research and development efforts focus on the study of hypoxically stored RBCs. The company's aim is to significantly improve the quality of stored RBCs worldwide. Visit to learn more about the Company. About Hemanext ONE Hemanext ONE has been granted marketing authorization for commercial distribution via the De Novo process by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is intended to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced (LR RBC) that have been prepared within the standard 8-hour hold time. Processing of Red Blood Cells processed with the HEMANEXT ONE system must be initiated within 8 hours of collection and completed within 12 hours of collection. The Red Blood Cells must be processed at room temperature (20-26°C). The HEMANEXT ONE system limits O2 and CO2 levels in the storage environment. Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced, O2/ CO2 Reduced may be stored for up to 42 days at 1-6°C. HEMANEXT ONE is used for volumes no greater than 350 mL of LR RBC. In Europe, Hemanext ONE is CE marked, which allows its commercial distribution within the market of the European Economic Area. HEMANEXT ONE creates hypoxic RBCs, RBCs that have been processed to reduce oxygen and carbon dioxide content of RBCs and to maintain these levels throughout storage up to 42 days (3). Hypoxic RBCs have demonstrated positive impacts on multiple in vitro metrics of RBC quality in preclinical studies (8,9). Clinical studies are underway to determine the impact of hypoxic RBCs on patient outcomes and estimate potential cost savings from expected improvements in care and reductions in transfusion volumes (10). References 1. Rabcuka J, Blonski S, Meli A, et al. Metabolic reprogramming under hypoxic storage preserves faster oxygen unloading from stored red blood cells. Blood Adv. 2022;6(18):5415-5428. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007774 2. Reisz JA, Wither MJ et al. Oxidative modifications of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase regulate metabolic reprogramming of stored red blood cells. 2016;128(12): e32-42. 3. HEMANEXT ONE® (Blood container set used to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced, and O2/CO2 Reduced) [US Instructions for Use]. Lexington, MA: Hemanext Inc. 4. Farmakis D, Porter J, Taher A, et al. 2021 Thalassemia International Federation Guidelines for the management of transfusion-dependent thalassemia. 2022;6:8. 5. Chou S, Alsawas M, Fasano R, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: transfusion support. Blood Adv. 2020;4:2. 6. Germing U, Oliva E, Hiwase D, and Almeida A. Treatment of anemia in transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent lower-risk MDS: current and emerging strategies. 2019;3(6). doi: 10.1097/HS9.0000000000000314 7. American College of Surgeons. ACS TQIP massive transfusion in trauma guidelines. ACS TQIP. 2014; 8. Yoshida T, Blair A, D'Alessandro A, et al. Enhancing uniformity and overall quality of red cell concentrate with anaerobic storage. Blood Transfus. 2017;15(2):172-81. 9. Yoshida T, McMahon E, Croxon H, et al. The oxygen saturation of red blood cell concentrates: The basis for a novel index of red cell oxidative stress. Transfusion. 2022;62(1):183-193. doi: 10.1111/trf.16715. 10. Reikvam H, Hetland G, Ezligini F, et al. Safety of hypoxic red blood cell administration in patients with transfusion-dependent hematological malignancies: An interim analysis. Transfus Apher Sci. 2023; doi: 10.1016/ Contact Information: Hemanext Robert Haime, Vice President, Commercial (781) 301-7474 Contact via Email Read the full story here: Co-Investigator of Clinical Safety Study Presents at EHA Press Release Distributed by
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hemanext Expands Board of Directors with Two New Members
Lexington, PA May 05, 2025 --( )-- Hemanext Inc., a leading innovator in blood processing, storage, and transfusion technology, announces the appointment of two distinguished professionals to its Board of Directors. Joe Grogan and Phil Pead join the visionary leaders that are steering Hemanext's path to improving the standard of care for patients who rely on transfusions. Joe Grogan is a healthcare expert with over two decades of experience in both the private sector and government, particularly in Washington, DC. He began his career as Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS during the George W. Bush administration and later worked at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the private sector, he advised Wall Street investors and worked for Amgen and Gilead Sciences, where he founded Gilead's DC office and led federal efforts during three major drug launches. Joe also served at the Office of Management and Budget, managing over $1.3 trillion in healthcare spending and drafting health sections of three Presidential Budgets. He later served as Domestic Policy Advisor in the West Wing, leading healthcare policy development and contributing to the President's Covid Task Force. Joe founded Fire Arrow to guide innovators through the complexities of Washington, DC, and help deliver products to those in need. Phil M Pead is a seasoned technology executive and board member with over 40 years of leadership experience in the Healthcare IT and software industries. He has served as CEO of Per-Se Technologies, Eclipsys, and Progress Software, leading major turnarounds, mergers, and acquisitions. He currently sits on the boards of Modernizing Medicine and WebPT and has held past roles with Change Healthcare and Allscripts. A Harvard Business Review case study highlights his leadership at Per-Se, and he has taught the 'Managing in Adversity' class at MIT Sloan Business School for four years. He is also a national board member and Secretary for the Posse Foundation. Andrew Dunham, CEO of Hemanext, warmly welcomes the addition to Hemanext's Board of Directors, 'We're thrilled to welcome Joe and Phil to our Board of Directors. Their expertise and vision will be invaluable as we continue to grow and innovate. We're excited for the journey ahead with such strong additions to our leadership team.' About Hemanext Hemanext is a privately held medical technology company based in Lexington, MA, that is dedicated to improving the quality, safety, efficacy, and cost of transfusion therapy. The company's research and development efforts focus on the study of hypoxically stored Red Blood Cells (RBCs). The company's aim is to significantly improve the quality of stored RBCs worldwide. Visit to learn more about the Company. About Hemanext ONE Hemanext ONE has been granted marketing authorization for commercial distribution via the De Novo process by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is intended to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced (LR RBC) that have been prepared within the standard 8-hour hold time. Processing of Red Blood Cells processed with the Hemanext ONE system must be initiated within 8 hours of collection and completed within 12 hours of collection. The Red Blood Cells must be processed at room temperature (20-26°C). The Hemanext ONE system limits O2 and CO2 levels in the storage environment. Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced, O2/ CO2 Reduced may be stored for up to 42 days at 1-6°C. Hemanext ONE is used for volumes no greater than 350 mL of LR RBC. In Europe, Hemanext ONE is CE marked, which allows its commercial distribution within the market of the European Economic Area (EEA). The Hemanext ONE RBC Processing and Storage system limits oxygen, the fuel for oxidative damage, providing a higher quality blood product (1,2,3). It has the potential to benefit all patients requiring transfusion for chronic conditions, such as thalassemia (4), sickle cell disease (SCD) (5), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (6), as well as those in need of critical transfusions during acute bleeding in surgery, trauma and other medical procedures (7). Hemanext ONE creates hypoxic RBCs, RBCs that have been processed to reduce oxygen and carbon dioxide content of RBCs and to maintain these levels throughout storage up to 42 days (3). Hypoxic RBCs have demonstrated positive impacts on multiple in vitro metrics of RBC quality in preclinical studies (8,9). Clinical studies are underway to determine the impact of hypoxic RBCs on patient outcomes and estimate potential cost savings from expected improvements in care and reductions in transfusion volumes (10). Hemanext Media Contact Robert Haime Vice President, Commercial [email protected] (781) 301-7474 References 1. Rabcuka J, Blonski S, Meli A, et al. Metabolic reprogramming under hypoxic storage preserves faster oxygen unloading from stored red blood cells. Blood Adv. 2022;6(18):5415-5428. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007774 2. Reisz JA, Wither MJ et al. Oxidative modifications of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase regulate metabolic reprogramming of stored red blood cells. 2016;128(12): e32-42. 3. Hemanext ONE® (Blood container set used to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced, and O2/CO2 Reduced) [US Instructions for Use]. Lexington, MA: Hemanext Inc. 4. Farmakis D, Porter J, Taher A, et al. 2021 Thalassemia International Federation Guidelines for the management of transfusion-dependent thalassemia. 2022;6:8. 5. Chou S, Alsawas M, Fasano R, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: transfusion support. Blood Adv. 2020;4:2. 6. Germing U, Oliva E, Hiwase D, and Almeida A. Treatment of anemia in transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent lower-risk MDS: current and emerging strategies. 2019;3(6). doi: 10.1097/HS9.0000000000000314 7. American College of Surgeons. ACS TQIP massive transfusion in trauma guidelines. ACS TQIP. 2014; 8. Yoshida T, Blair A, D'Alessandro A, et al. Enhancing uniformity and overall quality of red cell concentrate with anaerobic storage. Blood Transfus. 2017;15(2):172-81. 9. Yoshida T, McMahon E, Croxon H, et al. The oxygen saturation of red blood cell concentrates: The basis for a novel index of red cell oxidative stress. Transfusion. 2022;62(1):183-193. doi: 10.1111/trf.16715. 10. Reikvam H, Hetland G, Ezligini F, et al. Safety of hypoxic red blood cell administration in patients with transfusion-dependent hematological malignancies: An interim analysis. Transfus Apher Sci. 2023; doi: 10.1016/ Contact Information: Hemanext Robert Haime, Vice President, Commercial (781) 301-7474 Contact via Email Read the full story here: Hemanext Expands Board of Directors with Two New Members Press Release Distributed by
Associated Press
27-01-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hemanext Announces Close of Series B-2 Equity Funding Round
Hemanext Inc., a leading innovator in blood processing, storage, and transfusion technology, announces close of series B-2 equity fundraising round. The B-2 fundraising was launched in May 2024 to raise $16-20 million and was completed in October 2024, raising just over $20 million at a pre-money valuation of $115 million or $0.25 per share. Hemanext has recently reached the financial close of the round, with support coming from both existing and new investors in nearly equal measure. Hemanext expects the $20 million raised to support achievement of several real-world commercial objectives through June 2025, specifically: 1. Achieve successful implementation in the United States (US) and Europe across a variety of blood establishment categories. Progress towards this goal has already been made in the US, Greece and Norway. 2. Gather real world evidence on the performance and benefits of Hemanext ONE® across various hospitals, therapeutic areas, and countries, involving thousands of transfusions. 3. Establish pricing for a broader commercial launch in the US and EU after June 2025, supported by contractual outcomes and the HCPCS reimbursement pricing in the US. Delivering effective performance in the second half of 2025 (H2) for customers currently working to implement Hemanext ONE is projected to result in more than $10 million in sales from this group in 2026. Andrew Dunham, Chief Executive Officer of Hemanext, expressed his enthusiasm for the conclusion of the B-2 fundraising round, stating, 'We are thrilled to have reached our $20 million goal in this challenging funding environment for early commercial phase medical device companies. On behalf of everyone at Hemanext, we extend our gratitude to our existing investors for their ongoing trust and support, and we warmly welcome our new investors as we work together to transform transfusion.' About Hemanext Hemanext is a privately held medical technology company based in Lexington, MA that is dedicated to improving the quality, safety, efficacy, and cost of transfusion therapy. The company's research and development efforts focus on the study of hypoxically stored RBCs. The company's aim is to significantly improve the quality of stored RBCs worldwide. Visit to learn more about the Company. About Hemanext ONE Hemanext ONE has been granted marketing authorization for commercial distribution via the De Novo process by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is intended to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced (LR RBC) that have been prepared within the standard 8-hour hold time. Processing of Red Blood Cells processed with the Hemanext ONE system must be initiated within 8 hours of collection and completed within 12 hours of collection. The Red Blood Cells must be processed at room temperature (20-26°C). The Hemanext ONE system limits O2 and CO2 levels in the storage environment. Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced, O2/ CO2 Reduced may be stored for up to 42 days at 1-6°C. Hemanext ONE is used for volumes no greater than 350 mL of LR RBC. In Europe, Hemanext ONE is CE marked, which allows its commercial distribution within the market of the European Economic Area (EEA). The Hemanext ONE RBC Processing and Storage system limits oxygen, the fuel for oxidative damage, providing a higher quality blood product(1,2,3). It has the potential to benefit all patients requiring transfusion for chronic conditions, such as thalassemia(4), sickle cell disease (SCD)(5), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)(6), as well as those in need of critical transfusions during acute bleeding in surgery, trauma and other medical procedures(7). Hemanext ONE creates hypoxic RBCs, RBCs that have been processed to reduce oxygen and carbon dioxide content of RBCs and to maintain these levels throughout storage up to 42 days(3). Hypoxic RBCs have demonstrated positive impacts on multiple in vitro metrics of RBC quality in preclinical studies(8,9). Clinical studies are underway to determine the impact of hypoxic RBCs on patient outcomes and estimate potential cost savings from expected improvements in care and reductions in transfusion volumes(10). Hemanext Media Contact Robert Haime (781) 301-7474 References 1. Rabcuka J, Blonski S, Meli A, et al. Metabolic reprogramming under hypoxic storage preserves faster oxygen unloading from stored red blood cells. Blood Adv. 2022;6(18):5415-5428. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007774 2. Reisz JA, Wither MJ et al. Oxidative modifications of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase regulate metabolic reprogramming of stored red blood cells. 2016;128(12): e32-42. 3. HEMANEXT ONE® (Blood container set used to process and store CP2D/AS-3 Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced, and O2/CO2 Reduced) [US Instructions for Use]. Lexington, MA: Hemanext Inc. 4. Farmakis D, Porter J, Taher A, et al. 2021 Thalassemia International Federation Guidelines for the management of transfusion-dependent thalassemia. 2022;6:8. 5. Chou S, Alsawas M, Fasano R, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: transfusion support. Blood Adv. 2020;4:2. 6. Germing U, Oliva E, Hiwase D, and Almeida A. Treatment of anemia in transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent lower-risk MDS: current and emerging strategies. 2019;3(6). doi: 10.1097/HS9.0000000000000314 7. American College of Surgeons. ACS TQIP massive transfusion in trauma guidelines. ACS TQIP. 2014; 8. Yoshida T, Blair A, D'Alessandro A, et al. Enhancing uniformity and overall quality of red cell concentrate with anaerobic storage. Blood Transfus. 2017;15(2):172-81.
