A drug that has long been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease might also help people living with sickle cell anemia, according to new research led by the University of Zurich.
The drug, called memantine, is affordable, well-known, and already widely available. Now, early results from a clinical study suggest it could improve the lives of patients with sickle cell anemia as well.
The study, published in the journal HemaSphere, found that memantine was safe, well tolerated, and effective in reducing symptoms and hospital stays for people with the disease. Researchers hope this low-cost option could benefit patients, especially in countries where treatment resources are limited.
Sickle cell anemia is the most common inherited blood disorder in the world. It affects how red blood cells work. In healthy people, red blood cells are round and flexible, helping them move easily through blood vessels. In people with sickle cell anemia, a change in the hemoglobin protein causes red blood cells to become stiff and shaped like a sickle.
These abnormal cells can get stuck in blood vessels, blocking blood flow and causing pain, organ damage, and shorter life expectancy. Children and teens often suffer the most.
Currently, the main treatment is a drug called hydroxyurea. It can improve symptoms and quality of life, but not everyone can tolerate it. Other options like bone marrow transplants or gene therapy exist, but they are costly or require rare donor matches.
That’s why memantine offers new hope. It’s already been used for Alzheimer’s disease for over two decades and is no longer under patent. That means it is cheaper and easier to access, making it a good candidate for repurposing.
In earlier lab studies, researchers showed that memantine helps stabilize red blood cells. To test whether it could help patients, the research team launched a phase II study. A total of 17 people with sickle cell anemia, including children, received memantine daily for one year, in doses based on their age.
The results were very encouraging. Patients had fewer hospital visits, and when they were hospitalized, their stays were shorter. Children in particular had fewer painful episodes, known as sickle cell crises. Most importantly, the treatment was safe: no serious side effects were reported, and no one had to stop the study because of memantine.
All participants continued taking hydroxyurea during the study. The scientists stress that memantine should be seen as a supportive treatment, not a replacement for current therapies. Still, the positive results suggest that memantine may offer extra help for people already on treatment.
Lead researcher Professor Max Gassmann explained that the next step is to run a new study involving patients who are not taking hydroxyurea. This will help determine how well memantine works on its own and whether it could become a regular part of care for sickle cell anemia.
If future results continue to be positive, memantine could become a game-changing option—especially for places like parts of Africa or India where sickle cell disease is common and expensive treatments are not always available.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease, and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
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