Voxelotor

Voxelotor is a novel hemoglobin S polymerization inhibitor for the treatment of sickle cell disease. This is a genetically inherited condition most prevalent in the Middle East, Africa, and certain parts of India. Sickle cell disease can lead to excruciating pain, stroke, infection, and various other complications arising from the blockage of blood vessels. Voxelotor was granted accelerated FDA approval on November 25 2019, as it is likely to be a promising treatment for the 100,000 individuals in the U.S. suffering from the disease, in addition to 20 million others worldwide. It was developed by Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. and is unique from other drugs used to treat sickle cell anemia, such as [hydroxyurea], [L-glutamine], and [crizanlizumab] due to its novel mechanism of action. The EMA approved the use of voxelotor for the treatment of hemolytic anemia associated with sickle cell disease in February 2022.