The drug, crizanlizumab, made by Novartis, has been
described as “an innovative treatment”
It is injected into a vein and can be taken on its own or
alongside standard treatment and regular blood transfusions, the BBC reports.
In a trial, patients taking the crizanlizumab had a
sickle-cell crisis 1.6 times a year on average, compared with nearly three
times a year normally.
These painful episodes, which can require hospital treatment
and lead to other health complications, are caused by by sickle-shaped red
blood cells blocking the small blood vessels.
But because the trial was small and lasted only a year, it
remains unknown how long the benefits last for – and that makes it difficult to
judge how cost-effective crizanlizumab is.
Nevertheless, NICE, which recommends treatments in England
and Wales, is recommending its use for over-16s, albeit under a special
arrangement rather than routinely, on the NHS.
The UK charity Sickle Cell Society said the new treatment
brought “new hope” for people living with the world’s most common genetic blood
condition.