Increasing levels of nitric oxide in the blood may offer new options for treating sickle cell anemia, the most common inherited blood disorder in the country. Researchers at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health are examining how nitric oxide acts on hemoglobin.

May 31, 1996 -- Ansan, Inc. today announced that it has received a notice from the U.S. Patent Office of its intent to grant a U.S. patent for the use of the Ansan drug Novaheme (AN10) for the treatment of red blood cell disorders such as sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

Article from the Joint Center for Sickle Cell and Thalassemic Disorders includes references.

A team of University of Minnesota scientists developed the new treatment regimen in an attempt to obtain the benefits of bone marrow transplantation without the risks of side effects or early death.

The NHLBI organized the multicenter study of hydroxyurea in sickle cell anemia to answer the question of whether hydroxyurea was clinically useful to patients with sickle cell disease.