People who have hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia have inherited one gene for hemoglobin E from one parent and one gene for β-thalassemia from the other parent. Hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia is a severe disease, and it still has no universal cure. It affects more than a million people in the world.[5] The consequences of hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia when it is not treated can be heart failure, enlargement of the liver, problems in the bones, etc.