Can a blood test find the right drug dose faster for sickle cell?
NCT ID NCT06761560
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This trial asks whether using a pharmacokinetic test—which tracks how the body absorbs and processes a drug—can help children with sickle cell disease reach the best dose of hydroxyurea faster than the usual bloodwork checks. Patients are split into groups: one gets dose adjustments guided by the pharmacokinetic test, the other follows standard care. A third group, already on hydroxyurea for a year, gets a single test to check drug levels. The goal is to see if the test-based approach leads to a more effective dose sooner.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pharmacokinetic-based dosing of hydroxyurea
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could make hydroxyurea dosing faster and more precise, helping sickle cell patients get better symptom control sooner.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and early, so results may not apply to everyone. Pharmacokinetic testing adds complexity and may not clearly beat standard monitoring.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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About 29 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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6 months to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria (Group A and B) : * Have had confirmed diagnosis of SCD at CHU Sainte-Justine biochemistry lab with hemoglobin electrophoresis. * Patients with SS, SBThal0. * Agree to take hydroxyurea for a period of 12 months * Be between age of 6months old and 18 years old. * Have consented for participation in the study. Inclusion Criteria (Group C) : * Have had confirmed diagnosis of SCD at CHU Sainte-Justine biochemistry lab with hemoglobin electrophoresis. * Patients with SS, SBThal0. * Have taken hydroxyurea for a period of at least 12 months, and have received HU at a stable dose and at MTD for at least 6 months. * Be between age of 6months old and 18 years old. * Have consented for participation in the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with sickle cell genotype other than SS or SBThal0 (SC, SBThal+, SE or SD) * Patients on chronic transfusion program * Patients have received a blood transfusion in the last 4 weeks of study enrollment. * Have received a hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation * Creatinine \>2x normal for age * ALT\>2x normal for age * Sexually active females unwilling to comply with reliable method of birth control * Pregnancy * Conditions which in the opinion of the investigator, would compromise participation in the study will be excluded.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CHU Sainte-Justine
RECRUITINGMontreal, Quebec, H3T 1C5, Canada
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