Crizanlizumab lowers pain crises in at-risk sickle cell patients, ad-hoc trial data show

  Novartis’ investigational therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD), crizanlizumab (SEG101), was seen to reduce the number of patients reporting a pain crisis — including in those with a recent history of multiple crises — a post-hoc analysis of the SUSTAIN Phase 2 study reports. More patients (35.8%) treated with crizanlizumab — among a study subgroup who had between two and 10 vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in the year prior to entering the trial — had no such crises post-treatment, compared to those given placebo (16.9%), its researchers reported. These findings were reported in the study, “Effect of crizanlizumab on pain crises in subgroups of patients with sickle cell disease: A SUSTAIN study analysis,” published in the American Journal of Hematology. Crizanlizumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting P-selectin, a molecule existing on the surface of endothelial cells (which line the inner surface of blood vessels), and platelets (cell fragments involved in clotting).