All PlansCoverageMedium impact
Voluntary market withdrawal: Oxbryta (Pfizer – October)
UPMC Health Plan·Hematology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics +1 more·Pharmacy
Effective date
Oct 23, 2024
We identified it
Aug 7, 2026
Summary
Pfizer is voluntarily withdrawing Oxbryta (voxelotor) from the market effective immediately due to safety concerns showing increased severe pain events in clinical trials that outweigh therapeutic benefits. Billing teams must immediately stop processing claims for this medication and ensure patients are transitioned to alternative FDA-approved sickle cell disease treatments.
Action Required
Immediately: Billing team must flag and halt all pending and new claims for Oxbryta (voxelotor). Update billing system to reject any submissions for this drug with denial reason 'Product voluntarily withdrawn from market.' Notify pharmacy staff to discontinue dispensing and contact affected patients to transition to alternative sickle cell disease medications (e.g., Adakveo, Endari, Siklos). Communicate with providers in hematology and internal medicine specialties to update treatment protocols. No claims should be processed for Oxbryta after October 23, 2024. Document all affected patient cases for potential claim adjustments or reversals already in process.