

For children ages of 4 through 11, dosing is variable: Specific doses depend on age and body weight. But it’s also available as a 300 mg tablet that can dissolve in a clear liquid - such as water or Sprite - if it’s hard for you to swallow a pill. Oxbryta is an oral pill that’s available in two forms. This helps your red blood cells maintain a normal shape. Oxbryta helps prevent your hemoglobin from forming these long strands. Hemoglobin can group together and polymerize - or form long strands - that stretch and change the shape of your red blood cells. But in SCD, part of your hemoglobin is mutated, or genetically changed. One of its main roles is to carry oxygen throughout your bloodstream. Hemoglobin is a protein inside your red bed blood cells. It’s the only medication in its class, and it aims to stop the “polymerization” of hemoglobin. Oxbryta is called a hemoglobin S polymerization inhibitor. How does Oxbryta work to treat sickle cell disease? By doing this, it can help lessen the severity of SCD. Oxbryta helps your red blood cells look like a flat circle instead of a crescent. If SCD is untreated or uncontrolled, it’s possible to develop anemia, various organ problems, sudden pain spells, and more. These misshapen cells can lead to a variety of health problems. Instead, they look like a crescent - similar to the letter C.

In most cases, your red blood cells are shaped like a flat circle. Oxbryta is an oral medication that helps red blood cells work properly in people with SCD. Here, we’ll talk about Oxbryta - what it is, how it works, and how much it costs. It doesn’t aim to just treat symptoms caused by the condition. It’s a significant medication because it’s the first medication that actually targets the cause of SCD. Back in 2019, the FDA approved this medication for people ages 12 and older. This approval is just a new use for Oxbryta. So when treatment breakthroughs are announced, it makes headlines.īut Oxybryta actually isn’t new. SCD is a genetic blood disorder that’s painful and debilitating for those who live with it. In December 2021, the FDA approved Oxbryta (voxelotor) to treat sickle cell disease (SCD) in children ages 4 through 11.
