For the first time in 20 years in the United States a medicine against sickle-cell anemia was approved

According to "Remedium", sickle-cell anemia is a dangerous genetic blood disease. Previously, patients were treated with hydroxyurea only. Now, L-glutamine amino acid (brand name Endari), designed by Emmaus Medical Inc., will be put into practice. This medicine is designed to reduce the intensity of severe complications of the disease.

In sickle-cell anemia, hemoglobin acquires a specific crystalline structure. This inhibits the blood flow, oxygen delivery and causes chronic hypoxia, anemia and pain syndrome. The fact that the new medicine works has been proven by clinical trials. The patients aged 5 to 58 years whose incidence of painful attacks was two or more times a year, were involved in the trials. The volunteers were treated for 48 weeks.

As a result, the new medicine reduced the frequency of visits to the physician in order to relive the pain syndrome (by parenteral injection of narcotic analgesic or ketorolac) compared to placebo (3 vs. 4 times). Plus, a number of hospitalizations (2 vs. 3) and days in the hospital (6.5 versus 11) were reduced.

Source: "Remedium"