Oxbryta Wrongful Death Lawsuit Set for Trial in Sept. 2027

About a dozen Oxbryta lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts, each alleging that the sickle cell disease drug caused dangerous and sometimes deadly side effects.

A federal judge has scheduled an Oxbryta lawsuit to go before a jury in September 2027, involving a claim that side effects of the recalled sickle cell disease drug caused fatal injuries for a Tennessee man.

The Oxbryta wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Diana Ford in May 2025, indicating that her husband Bruce Ford passed away after experiencing a vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). Although the medication was supposed to prevent the sickle cell disease complication, the complaint indicates that the drug actually worsened the condition.

Oxbryta (voxelotor) was originally introduced by Global Blood Therapeutics in 2019, as the first medication to address the root causes of sickle cell disease. The drug’s designers claimed it would improve hemoglobin levels in the body, helping the blood cells retain more oxygen and preventing vaso-occlusive crises (VOC), which occur when the red blood cells block blood flow,.

However, following a higher-than-expected number of reports of VOC problems among users, Pfizer issued an Oxbryta recall in September 2024, just two years after acquiring both the manufacturer and the drug. As a result, a number of former users are now pursuing lawsuits, alleging that Oxbryta worsened their condition and left them with severe, and sometimes fatal injuries that should have been prevented.

Late last month, U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued a tentative case management and scheduling order (PDF) in the Ford case, announcing that the case will be prepared for trial to begin on September 13, 2027, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Fact discovery is scheduled to be completed by November 6, 2026 and sets a February 12, 2027 deadline for expert discovery. The order schedules a final pretrial conference for July 29, 2027.

Earlier this month, Ford’s attorneys filed a statement on the status of related Oxbryta cases (PDF), indicating they are aware of three similar lawsuits filed in Northern California federal court. In addition, another seven product liability lawsuits are filed in California state court. That number is expected to increase in the coming months and years.

Judge Thompson’s order sets the next status conference for August 21, with a joint status report due by August 14.

As former users continue to file Oxbryta recall lawsuits, progress in early cases like the one filed by Ford will be closely watched, to gauge how courts and juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the claims.