Novartis announced that eligible patients in England and Wales will soon have routine access to Adakveo® (crizanlizumab) under a Managed Access Agreement (MAA). The news comes as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), published the Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending crizanlizumab as an option for preventing recurrent sickle cell crises (two or more vaso-occlusive crises, VOCs, in a year, managed at home or in hospital) in people aged 16 or older with sickle cell disease (SCD). Access to this innovative treatment not only helps with SCD but also demonstrates a commitment to supporting health equity for a community that has been historically underserved, without any new treatment options for more than 20 years, and disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. VOCs are one of the main symptoms of SCD. The sickling of red blood cells can result in the cells sticking together, along with increased adhesion to other blood cells and blood vessel walls. This can cause blockages in smaller blood vessels and trigger episodes of acute pain (crises). Sickle cell pain crises disrupt patients' lives physically, socially, and emotionally – and can worsen into acute and long-term complications. People living with SCD suffer an increased risk of high blood pressure, eyesight loss, and kidney and urinary problems, along with long-term damage to internal organs, such as kidneys, liver, spleen, heart and lungs. In addition, SCD can have a significant impact on an individual's ability to engage in normal life, limiting career and educational opportunities, along with associated mental health challenges. The decision follows close consultation between NICE, NHS England and Novartis, as well as professional and patient/carer groups across the United Kingdom. By adopting a collaborative approach – including collecting prospective real-world data via the National Haemoglobinopathy Register (NHR) – this decision clears the way for patients with SCD in England to be able to access crizanlizumab. In addition to collecting valuable real world evidence which has historically been lacking in this disease area, the partnership agreement between Novartis, NHR, NICE and NHS England aims to identify and address any inequality of uptake, supporting long-term access to treatment and helping to make the UK a centre of excellence for SCD care. Securing a positive decision and MAA for crizanlizumab demonstrates how this kind of partnership can enable patients with a huge unmet need to gain early access to innovative treatments, and can help inform the implementation of the recently-announced Innovative Medicines Fund.