Individuals with sickle cell disease suffer from chronic complications of their life-limiting diagnosis. PAs caring for these patients have historically been limited in their ability to offer treatment options due to the few available therapies for sickle cell disease. Recently, however, several new medications have been approved to treat sickle cell disease. This presentation reviews previous standard of care therapies for sickle cell disease and describe the new medications available. These medications may be used as monotherapy or in combination with other disease-modifying agents, and their approval represents a new horizon in the pursuit of effective treatment and ultimately a universal cure for sickle cell disease.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:

• Describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and common complications of sickle cell disease
• Demonstrate knowledge of traditional disease-modifying therapies for sickle cell disease
• Explain the mechanisms of action for the emerging therapies for sickle cell disease and describe the appropriate patient population for each