New pill shows promise for thalassemia patients in early trial

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Informed consent; * Known medical history of thalassemia, including β-thalassemia intermedia, Hb E β-thalassemia, α-thalassemia (Hb H disease), or β-thalassemia with mutations of 1 or more α genes; * Documented clinical laboratory confirmation of thalassemia by Hb electrophoresis/high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis, either from medical records or during the screening period; * Hb concentration ≤10.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL), regardless of sex, based on an average of at least 2 Hb measurements (separated by a minimum of 7 days) during the screening period; * Considered non-transfusion-dependent, defined as having no more than 5 units of red blood cells (RBCs) transfused during the 24-week period up to the first day of study drug and no RBC transfusions in the 8 weeks prior to the first day of study drug; * Adequate organ function; * For women of reproductive potential: negative serum pregnancy test during the screening period and a negative serum or urine pregnancy test on Day 1; * For women of reproductive potential as well as men with partners who are women of reproductive potential: be abstinent as part of their usual lifestyle, or agreement to use 2 forms of contraception, 1 of which must be considered highly effective, from the time of giving informed consent, during the study, and for 28 days following the last dose of study drug for women and 90 days following the last dose of study drug for men; * Willingness to comply with all study procedures for the duration of the study; Exclusion Criteria: * Known history of diagnosis of Hb S or Hb C forms of thalassemia; * Significant medical condition that confers an unacceptable risk to participating in the study, and/or could confound the interpretation of the study data; * Splenectomy scheduled during the study treatment period or having undergone splenectomy within 12 months prior to signing informed consent; * Currently enrolled in another therapeutic clinical trial involving ongoing therapy with any investigational or marketed product or placebo; * Exposure to any investigational drug, device, or procedure within 3 months prior to the first day of study drug; * Prior exposure to sotatercept (ACE-011), luspatercept (ACE-536), ruxolitinib, or gene therapy; * Prior bone marrow or stem cell transplant; * Currently pregnant or breastfeeding; * History of major surgery within 6 months of signing informed consent; * Currently receiving medications that are strong inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4, strong inducers of CYP3A4, strong inhibitors of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), or digoxin (a P-gp sensitive substrate medication) that have not been stopped for a duration of at least 5 days or a timeframe equivalent to 5 half-lives (whichever is longer) prior to the first day of study drug; * Currently receiving chronic anticoagulant therapy, unless started and on a stable dose for at least 28 days prior to first day of study drug; * Currently receiving anabolic steroids, including testosterone preparations, if initiated ≤28 days prior to the first day of study drug; * Currently receiving hematopoietic stimulating agents (e.g., erythropoietins, granulocyte colony stimulating factors, thrombopoietins), if initiated ≤8 weeks prior to the first day of study drug; * History of allergy to sulfonamides if characterized by acute hemolytic anemia, drug-induced liver injury, anaphylaxis, rash of erythema multiforme type or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, cholestatic hepatitis, or other serious clinical manifestations; * History of allergy to AG-348 or its excipients (microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, sodium stearyl fumarate, and mannitol).