Oxbryta was supposed to be a breakthrough for sickle cell patients. However, reports of serious complications and the drug’s recent market withdrawal have left patients and their families searching for safer alternatives. While this setback is undoubtedly disheartening, several established and emerging treatments continue to provide effective management for sickle cell disease. The knowledgeable Oxbryta injury attorneys at Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC are ready to fight on your family’s behalf if you or a loved one were harmed by this medication.
Medication Options for Sickle Cell Disease
Several FDA-approved medications can effectively manage sickle cell disease symptoms and complications. These include:
- Hydroxyurea: This oral medication reduces the sickling of red blood cells and helps prevent serious complications, including pain crises. Doctors typically prescribe this daily medication for infants as young as nine months old.
- L-glutamine: This powder-based supplement, mixed with drinks or soft foods, can reduce hospital admissions, decrease pain episodes, and lower your risk of acute chest syndrome.
- Crizanlizumab-tmca: Administered monthly through an IV, this medication prevents blood cells from adhering to vessel walls, reducing blockages that cause painful crises. The treatment also helps decrease inflammation and may reduce your need for blood transfusions.
Blood Transfusions
Blood transfusions serve as both emergency treatment and preventive therapy for sickle cell patients. During acute complications like strokes or acute chest syndrome, transfusions can be life-saving by quickly providing healthy, flexible red blood cells to replace your sickled cells. The procedure typically takes one to four hours.
Your doctor might recommend regular transfusions if you have experienced a stroke or show abnormal results on your imaging tests. These ongoing treatments can reduce your risk of future strokes and other serious complications, but they require careful monitoring for iron overload and other potential side effects.
Blood and Bone Marrow Transplants
For some patients, blood and bone marrow transplants offer the closest thing to a cure currently available. These procedures require finding a well-matched donor, typically a close family member, and involve replacing your diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells. Doctors usually reserve this option for patients with severe complications or those who have not responded well to other treatments.
The Risks of Taking Oxbryta for Sickle Cell Patients
Oxbryta has been withdrawn from the market due to increased risk of vaso-occlusive crises and other serious side effects. What makes this situation particularly troubling is that clinical data revealed these dangerous effects only after thousands of patients had already been prescribed the medication. Although Oxbryta is no longer available, many former patients are still grappling with lasting health consequences and financial burdens caused by their condition.
Now, patients nationwide are filing lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, alleging that the company failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about the medication’s serious risks and continued marketing the drug despite knowing about its dangerous side effects. You may qualify for an Oxbryta lawsuit if you took the medication and subsequently experienced a serious health complication.
Take Action with Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC
If Oxbryta has caused you harm, you deserve both proper medical care and fair compensation for the damage this medication may have caused. Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC is representing former Oxbryta patients nationwide in their claims against its manufacturers—our attorneys can fight for your right to recovery. Contact us at (212) 485-9899 for a free, confidential consultation about your legal options.