OXBRYTA LAWSUITS

Oxbryta is the brand name for Voxelotor, a prescription drug developed to treat sickle cell disease. With this disease, the body’s red blood cells polymerize or “sickle”, a process where the cells develop a rigid, sickle-like shape, which can block blood flow and cause complications like sudden, intense pain, anemia, stroke, and organ damage.

Oxbryta is manufactured by Pfizer and is intended to work by helping to prevent sickling. By reducing sickling, the prescription drug improves hemoglobin levels and reduces hemolysis, or a breakdown of red blood cells.

In 2024, Pfizer withdrew Oxbryta from the market after data from clinical trials raised concerns about the drug causing serious adverse effects for patients taking Oxbryta compared to those who were taking a placebo. The drug’s side effect concerns that led to the withdrawal from the market included:

• Higher incidence of vaso-occlusive crises (VOC)
• Death rate for those taking the drug vs. those who were not
• Stroke
• Organ damage

Upon learning of the recall, patients who were prescribed Oxybryta began to file product liability and wrongful death lawsuits for the injuries they incurred.

Attorney Ethan Vessels accepts Oxbryta cases in both Ohio and West Virginia. If you or a loved one were prescribed Oxbryta and have experienced excessive pain, organ damage, stroke, or death, please contact Ethan Vessels for a free, no obligation consultation. He can be reached by calling 740-374-5346 or sending a message here from this website.

A vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is frequently referred to as simply a “pain crisis”. It is one of the most common and serious complications associated with sickle cell disease. A VOC takes place when sickled red blood cells block blood flow in the blood vessels.

The blockage causes tissue to be deprived of oxygen, a condition known as ischemia. This may lead to chronic pain, stroke, and organ damage.

Symptoms of VOC include:

• Severe pain, typically experienced in bones, chest, back, abdomen, or joints
• Swelling in the hands or feet
• Fever
• Trouble breathing or chest pain
  

In late 2024, lawsuits began to be filed against Pfizer and its subsidiary Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) over the recalled sickle cell disease drug Oxbryta. In these lawsuits, patients, or the loved ones of patients who have died, are claiming the manufacturer of the prescription did the following:

• Failure to warn: Did not properly inform patients and doctors about the severe and life-threatening risks associated with the drug.

• False advertising: Marketing for the drug was misleading and understated the risks and dangers.

• Negligence: Substandard testing and monitoring of the drug's safety.

• Design defect: The drug's design was defective and dangerous for its intended use.



• Accelerated approval: Questions about Oxbryta's 2019 accelerated FDA approval, which required further post-market studies to confirm safety and effectiveness.
  

For more than twenty years, people in Ohio and West Virginia have been contacting Ethan Vessels for legal advice, guidance, and representation when they or a loved one have been injured or killed by dangerous prescription drugs such as Oxbryta.

Lawsuits involving dangerous prescription drugs can be highly complex and difficult to prove. That’s why an attorney with Ethan’s experience, reputation, and resources is needed. Ethan typically handles Oxbryta cases with co-counsel at no additional expense to the client.

Ethan is a proven trial attorney who adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards. His focus is representing those who have been injured due to the negligence of others, including companies who manufacture dangerous prescription medications. 

If you or a loved one were prescribed Oxbryta and then experienced side effects such as excessive pain, stroke, organ damage, or death, please contact Ethan Vessels for a free, no obligation consultation. He will answer all your questions and provide you with the feedback you need to decide whether you should pursue a claim and the amount of time you have remaining to file a lawsuit. The meeting and its details will be kept strictly confidential.

When he accepts Oxbryta cases, he typically works on a contingent fee basis, which means there is no fee for his legal services until and unless a settlement or verdict is reached.