Until very recently, sickle cell disease was a condition that left those diagnosed very few treatment options.

However, in recent months, new developments have led to the approval of two new drugs, Adakveo and Oxbryta, that could solve those problems and drastically improve the quality and length of life for patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

To gain more insights into the latest developments in sickle cell treatment and research, BlackDoctor.org spoke with Dr. Alexis Thompson, currently the Hematology Section Head at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and one of the world’s leading experts in hematology and oncology.

Could you speak to any recent developments that you’ve seen in sickle cell research that people should be made aware of?

Dr. Alexis Thompson: There are two principal categories of recent advances in sickle cell disease.