The field of sickle cell disease treatment has received a boost after Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals has been granted a patent for a new Oral Suspension of Hydroxyurea that is stable at room temperature. This new formulation is especially important in management of sickle cell disease as it provides an improved oral medication for patients.

The new drug does away with the need for refrigeration, which has been a major hurdle when it comes to distribution of the disease treatments especially in the third world countries without reliable cold chain systems.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects millions of people globally and is characterized by the production of abnormally shaped red blood cells that are sticky and causes painful vaso-occlusive crisis, organ complications and other related complications. Hydroxyurea has remained the mainstay in the treatment of the condition but the conventional preparations required temperature maintenance.

This new development by Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals is a milestone to the betterment of quality of life of sickle cell patients as well as to the availability of these important treatments across the world. The stability of the new formulation at room temperature should significantly reduce the burden of distribution and storage of the drugs and may reach out to the needy patients in the remote parts of the world.

The health care professionals have high expectations of the effects this development could have on the patient compliance and the treatment results. The patent obtained by Akums proves that the company is focused on the development of new pharmaceuticals and the medical community’s constant work towards overcoming the difficulties of people with chronic diseases.

With the new formulation on the process of becoming more accessible in the market, there are expectations of more advancement in the field of hematology and treatment of rare diseases. The medical fraternity is keenly waiting for more clinical trials and real world evidence to understand the long term efficacy and other possible uses of this room stable Hydroxyurea formulation.

It is useful to be reminded of the importance of pharmaceutical innovation in enhancing the quality of patient’s care and meeting unmet medical needs. Such advances hold promise for the future of healthcare delivery and patient care since healthcare is becoming even more complex with time.