NHS England offers superior treatment for sickle cell disease | sickle cell disease

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The National Health Service has announced that thousands of patients in England will benefit from the first treatment for sickle cell disease in two decades.

Crizanlizumab, a “revolutionary” life-changing drug treatment, is delivered via drip transfusion and works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the supply of blood and oxygen from being restricted.

Officials said the treatment, the first available for the disease in 20 years, will help at least 5,000 people over the next three years.

Sickle cell disease — particularly common in people of African or Caribbean descent — is a serious, lifelong health condition. It can cause severe pain and organ failure, and often requires hospitalization.

Current treatments to prevent sickle cell crises include a tablet called hydroxycarbamide and regular blood transfusions, but they are not always effective for people with severe forms of the disease.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said: “This is a historic moment for people with sickle cell disease who will get their first new treatment in more than two decades.” “This revolutionary treatment will help save lives, allow patients to have a better quality of life and almost halve trips to the emergency and accident department.”

People over 16 years of age who have multiple sickle cell crises each year will be eligible for treatment. The disease is characterized by the production of red blood cells of an unusual shape, which can cause serious health problems throughout the body, leading to crises in the organs and causing severe pain.

Toks Odesanmi, a sickle cell disease patient at Cambridge University Hospitals, welcomed the arrival of the treatment and said it gave her new hope.

“Sickle cell disease defined me, defined my body and made a huge impact on my dreams,” said Odesanmi, 47, a financial specialist from Colchester. “No matter how strong I fight, it keeps defeating me. A new treatment brings hope and may make a dream possible again.”

Sickle Cell Association President Kye Gbangbola said: “The new treatment brings new hope to people with sickle cell disorder, the world’s most common inherited blood disease. Sickle cell disease is a medical emergency that causes excruciating pain. This new treatment will reduce the number of episodes of sickle cell disease. The agonizing pain that we have to bear.

“The hope is to improve the quality of life for the many people living with this condition and their families.”

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