A clinical research study is currently evaluating a new treatment for children and teens with painful episodes due to sickle cell disease.

Why is this study performed?

Sickle cell disease can be painful and it is important to try to find more treatments. This study will test a potential new research treatment.

Sticky platelets might make sickle cell pain worse, and it’s possible that by making platelets less sticky it might ease sickle cell pain or make it less frequent. Heart attacks in adults can be caused by sticky platelets. Adults can take medicines to make the platelets less sticky and prevent heart attacks from happening again.

This is the first study testing the new research treatment in children and teens. The treatment is not approved for sickle cell disease; it is investigational. More than 20,000 adults with heart disease have received the study treatment in previous clinical studies, and it is approved in over 100 countries to treat adults.

Who can participate?

In this study we are looking for children and teenagers, between 2 and 17 years old, with sickle cell disease. Only patients with haemoglobin SS or sickle beta-zero-thalassemia are eligible. Patients with haemoglobin SC or sickle trait are not eligible for this study.

During the first visit to the study clinic, the doctor will discuss the study with both the parent and child. Health and medical history will be considered. Only the doctor can decide whether the child is eligible for the study considering the child’s overall health and other factors. Consent of the parent is required for participation in the study.
Click here if you are interested in learning more about this clinical research study and want to find out how to participate.