New hope for sickle cell patients: drug cuts painful erections
NCT ID NCT03938454
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a drug called crizanlizumab in 36 men with sickle cell disease who suffer from priapism—painful erections lasting an hour or more. The goal was to see if the drug could reduce how often these events happen. Participants received the drug by IV and reported their symptoms over 26 weeks. The results suggest crizanlizumab may help control this painful complication, but larger studies are needed to confirm.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Crizanlizumab (a monoclonal antibody given by IV infusion)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a new treatment option to reduce painful erections in men with sickle cell disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 36 participants and no placebo group, so results may not apply to everyone. The drug may cause side effects like infusion reactions or infections.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brody School of Medicine
Greenville, North Carolina, 27834, United States
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Childrens Hosp Boston Dept of Hematology
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Childrens National Hospital
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States
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Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
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Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research
Hollywood, Florida, 33021, United States
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LSU Medical Center
Shreveport, Louisiana, 71130, United States
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Montefiore Medical Center
The Bronx, New York, 10461, United States
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Prisma Health Upstate
Greenville, South Carolina, 29615, United States
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University Of Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
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University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, United States
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University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213-2548, United States
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University of Texas Medical School
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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