As reported in PR NewsWire; in an effort to help the entirety of the sickle cell disease community, Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc has announced a program that will provide their treatment Endari at little to no-cost for patients who cannot afford to make payments. The biopharmaceutical company is a leading force in finding treatments for sickle cell disease, a blood disease causing clots and pain.
Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of rare blood disorders, characterized by the unusual shape of the red blood cells, which resemble sickles. These cells get caught on the walls of blood vessels impeding blood flow and causing blockages. Symptoms can include pain crisis, swelling in the extremities, fatigue, jaundice, or delayed growth. The most common sickle cell disease is sickle cell anemia, which is much more common amongst African Americans. Over time, the blockages in the blood flow cause damage to the body’s organs. While there are symptomatic treatments available including antibiotics, blood transfusions, and bone or blood marrow transplants, there is no cure.
Endari: A Sickle Cell Treatment
Endari is a prescription of oral powder made of prescription grade L-glutamine which was approved in 2017. It’s considered suitable for adults or children over age five.
The drug is in part being made more readily accessible by Lash Group, a company meant to help patients access treatments. They use various techniques to improve technology and reporting to manage patients without services and make it easier for patients to get connected to treatments and companies. The two companies hope their efforts will make the sickle cell community healthier regardless of their income. This is important because chronic diseases are typically incredibly expensive while simultaneously making it more difficult to keep a steady income.
According to PR News Wire, the Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus, Yutaka Niihara, M.D., said,
“We are very pleased to launch the Endari Support Program, which will allow us to better serve the sickle cell disease community by providing financial assistance to increase patient access to our treatment. This program follows our existing commercial co-pay assistance program. Emmaus is committed to providing Endari to all patients who may benefit from our sickle cell disease treatment, regardless of their means and situation.”
Patients unable to pay for treatment or are without insurance are able to reach out for support at the Endari Support Program at 1-855-723-5646 or www.endarirx.com/esp. They can find out if they qualify for free treatment and apply there.
