Novartis nabs first sickle cell mAb approval

The FDA late Friday approved the first-ever targeted therapy for sickle cell disease — a terribly painful condition that affects about 100,000 Americans, most of whom are black. About 300 million people around the world have sickle cell disease.

Crizanlizumab, which will be marketed by Novartis under the name Adakveo, has a wholesale price of $2,357 per vial. The drug’s prescribed according to a patient’s weight, which means it’d likely translate to about $85,000 to $113,000 per year. That will likely make Adakveo a 2021 blockbuster for Novartis. 

Meanwhile, Novartis has indicated in its press release that it’s committed to making the drug “accessible to as many patients as possible,” particularly those in Africa.