First new treatment for sickle cell disease for 20 years will be made available on NHS

THE first new treatment for sickle cell disease in more than 20 years is being rolled out by the NHS.

People with the blood disorder endure severe pain and can suffer fatal organ failure.

A new drug called Crizanlizumab, delivered by transfusion drip, can prevent these symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life.

It works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the restriction of blood and oxygen supply that lead to a sickle cell crisis.

NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: “This is a historic moment for people with sickle cell disease who will be given their first new treatment in over two decades.

“This revolutionary treatment will help to save lives, allow patients to have a better quality of life and reduce trips to A&E by almost half.

“The NHS has agreed so we can provide the latest and best treatments for patients at a price that is affordable for taxpayers.”

Patients with sickle cell suffer from monthly episodes, making it difficult for people to continue in their jobs or other everyday activities.

The hereditary condition is much more prevalent among people of African or African-Caribbean origin.

Toks Odesanmi, a sickle cell patient at Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, said: “Sickle Cell Disease has defined me, defined my body and made a big dent to my dreams.

“No matter how hard I fight it continues to defeat me. A new treatment brings hope and might make dreaming possible again.”

The disease is characterised by unusually shaped red blood cells that are produced which can cause serious health issues across the body, sending organs into crisis and causing extreme levels of pain.

This drug will reduce the number of times a sickle cell patient needs to go to A&E by two fifths.

Last year, NHS England set up ten new dedicated centres to treat sickle cell disease across the country and patients will be able to access the new treatment through their consultant at one of these clinics.

Chair of the Sickle Cell Society, Kye Gbangbola MBA, said: “A new treatment brings new hope for people living with Sickle Cell Disorder, the world’s most common genetic blood condition.

“SCD is a ‘medical emergency’; it causes excruciating pain, this new treatment will reduce the number of agonising pain episodes we have to endure. 

"The hope is improved quality of life for many living with the condition and their families.”