Drug combats complications of SCD

The researchers also looked at the incidence of ACS and found that L-glutamine was associated with a 58% reduction in ACS. The incidence was 26.9% in the placebo arm and 11.9% in the L-glutamine arm (P=0.006).

“We observed this cascade improvement [with L-glutamine],” Dr Niihara noted. “And what we mean [by that] is that, with glutamine, there is less chance of having painful crises, but if patients have to have crises, they have less chance of being hospitalized. And if they have to be hospitalized, their stays in the hospital are shorter. And, again, if they have to be hospitalized, there’s less chance of them going to the ICU with acute chest syndrome.”

Dr Niihara said the researchers’ next steps are to investigate L-glutamine in a clinical setting, in patients younger than 5 years old, in pregnant women, and as part of combination therapy.

*Information in the abstract differs from that presented at the meeting.