According to Reuters on September 26, Pfizer, the American pharmaceutical company, announced on Wednesday that it will withdraw its sickle cell disease treatment drug Oxbryta from all approved markets due to increased risks of complications and death. Pfizer acquired Oxbryta when it purchased Global Blood Therapeutics for $5.4 billion in 2022. The company reported that the revenue for this therapy in 2023 was $0.328 billion. The withdrawal of the drug occurred before the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency held a "special meeting" to review Pfizer's medication. In a study of 236 people, 8 patients who used Oxbryta died, while 2 patients who used a placebo died. Pfizer stated that they will further review the existing data and have informed the regulatory authorities of their investigation results. The company has advised patients to contact their doctors to discuss alternative treatment options. The US Food and Drug Administration accelerated the approval of this therapy in 2019. It was also approved in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. The company mentioned that this drug withdrawal is not expected to affect its full-year financial outlook in 2024.