Pfizer Reaches Settlement in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Linked to Withdrawn Sickle Cell Drug Oxbryta
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Pfizer has reached a settlement agreement with a Tennessee widow who sued the company over Oxbryta, the recalled sickle cell medication she claims caused her husband’s death.
In the complaint, Diana Ford said her husband, Bruce Ford, died in May 2024 after taking Oxbryta for roughly two years and suffering fatal complications she attributed to the drug. The Oxbryta lawsuit accused both Global Blood Therapeutics, the original developer of Oxbryta, and its parent company, Pfizer, of negligence and wrongful death.
Court filings show the parties settled in October and expect to finalize the details by early December. Ford’s lawsuit is one of many that allege Pfizer didn’t do enough to warn patients about the potential dangers of the medicine.
What is Oxbryta?
Oxbryta (voxelotor) is an oral medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019. It was developed to help treat sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to become stiff and sickle-shaped.
The cells can clog blood vessels and reduce oxygen delivery throughout the body, causing severe pain known as a vaso-occlusive crisis. These crises often require medical intervention, so the drug was created to reduce the sickling of red blood cells and improve oxygen flow.
The drug received accelerated approval from the FDA, which allows treatments for serious conditions to reach the market sooner based on early data. Companies are required to complete additional studies afterward to confirm the drug’s benefits and risks. However, safety concerns arose in the years after Oxbryta became available.
According to the lawsuit, FAERS data showed tens of thousands of adverse event reports related to Oxbryta as of September 2024, including 363 reported deaths. The drug was voluntarily pulled from the global market in the same month.
While FAERS reports do not prove a drug caused an injury or death, they can signal emerging safety issues that regulators monitor closely.
Other Oxbryta Lawsuits Remain Active
Pfizer is now facing lawsuits filed by people who claim that the company didn’t warn patients about potentially life-threatening side effects. Litigants argue that Oxbryta did the opposite of what it claimed to do and are seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost income and other financial hardships.
People who have sickle cell disease who were prescribed Oxbryta for treatment and experienced serious health issues or worsening conditions could be eligible to file an Oxbryta lawsuit.
