If you or a loved one used the prescription drug Oxbryta® to treat sickle cell disease and later experienced vaso-occlusive crisis that resulted in injury or death, you may be owed a settlement from its manufacturer. Read on to learn more about Oxbryta, its adverse effects, and who can join the Oxbryta lawsuit.
What is Oxbryta and who takes it?
Oxbryta is an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat hemolytic anemia in patients 12 years and older with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that affects around 100,000 people in the United States, 90% of whom are non-Hispanic Black or African American.
Sickle cell disease causes the body to make abnormal hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body. These damaged blood cells, called sickle cells, can’t move easily through the blood vessels, causing them to get stuck and blocking the movement of healthy blood.
Oxbryta, the name brand for voxelotor, is a hemoglobin S polymerization inhibitor that works by keeping hemoglobin oxygenated. This helps red blood cells maintain their normal shape and prevents them from sticking together and creating blockages. The medication was developed by biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics and approved by the FDA in 2019. In 2022, Global Blood Therapeutics was acquired by Pfizer for $5.4 billion.
What is vaso-occlusive crisis?
A sickle cell crisis is a common complication of sickle cell disease that occurs when sickled cells build up in a blood vessel and cause a blockage. When this happens, oxygen can’t reach your tissues and organs, causing pain and other symptoms. Vaso-occlusive crisis is the most common type of sickle cell crisis.
Vaso-occlusive crises can last from a couple of days to several weeks, and may sometimes require hospitalization. Symptoms vary depending on the area of the body affected, but can include pain, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and weakness.
Can Oxbryta cause vaso-occlusive crisis?
In post-marketing clinical trials of Oxbryta, Pfizer reported a higher rate of vaso-occlusive crisis and death in sickle cell patients receiving Oxbryta compared to those who were not taking the medicine. Additionally, two real-world registry studies also reported higher rates of vaso-occlusive crises in Oxbryta patients.
Following these findings, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew Oxbryta from the market and suspended research on the drug in September 2024, stating that the benefits of the drug no longer outweigh the risks.
What is the Oxbryta lawsuit?
In addition to experiencing painful vaso-occlusive crises, patients of Oxbryta are reporting other serious side effects caused by the drug including acute chest syndrome, organ failure, acute cardiac and pulmonary events, and stroke. In the most severe cases, complications from the drug have resulted in death.
Lawsuits against Pfizer claim that drugmakers knew about the risks of Oxbryta and failed to warn doctors and patients before taking it off the market. Some lawsuits even argue Pfizer hid the dangers of the drug on purpose.
Sickle cell patients all over the country have been seeking representation and filing lawsuits for vaso-occlusive crisis and other serious side effects that may be linked to Oxbryta.
Get help with your Oxbryta lawsuit
If you or a loved one took Oxbryta to treat sickle cell disease and later experienced vaso-occlusive crisis that resulted in severe complications such as acute chest syndrome, multi-organ failure, an acute cardiac or pulmonary event, stroke, or death, you may be able to join the Oxbryta lawsuit. You could be owed a settlement from Pfizer, the manufacturer of the drug, for failing to warn users of the risk of vaso-occlusive crisis and other serious complications. Fill out the form below or call today to contact the team at Woods & Woods for a free case evaluation.
Oxbryta Lawsuit
Oxbryta® is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc. The trademarks listed are used here only for the purpose of identifying the products in question. Woods & Woods, LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or associated with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Pfizer, Inc., or Global Blood Therapeutics.
