Hydroxyurea — An Essential Medicine for Sickle Cell Disease in Africa

Higher levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) ameliorate the clinical course of sickle cell disease. Hydroxyurea, an inhibitor of the enzyme ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase, increases HbF synthesis by erythroid cells (Figure 1). More than 20 years ago, a major clinical trial of hydroxyurea in the…

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