NHS treats first sickle cell disease patients with life-changing drug

Source: NHS England

NHS treats first sickle cell disease patients with life-changing drug Source: NHS England One of the first
patients to access a ground-breaking treatment for sickle cell disease on the NHS says she is “over the
moon” to have received the “lifechanging” new drug.

Loury Mooruth, 62, from Walsall in the West Midlands, is one of the first people to receive crizanlizumab
at Birmingham NHS Trust – the first new treatment for sickle cell disease in over two decades.

The new treatment, crizanlizumab, will reduce chronic pain, trips to A&E and will dramatically improve
patients’ quality of life. Thanks to an NHS drug deal, as many as 5,000 people will be treated over the next
three years –much earlier than would have otherwise been possible.

Dr Bola Owolabi, NHS Director of Health Inequalities, who also works as a GP in the Midlands, said: “It’s
fantastic that our first NHS patients have been given this ground-breaking and historic new treatment for
sickle cell disease -the first in over two decades. “This revolutionary treatment will allow patients to have
a better quality of life, reduce trips to A&E by almost half and ultimately help to save lives.

“Thanks to the NHS’ deal for this treatment we have been able to provide the latest and best possible
treatments for patients at a price that is affordable for taxpayers”. Crizanlizumab is the latest in a line
of NHS drugs deals that is seeing patients benefitting from new cutting-edge treatments, including a
new life-changing cystic fibrosis treatment for children Click here for the source.

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