Pfizer’s abrupt withdrawal of Oxbryta, a drug for sickle cell disease, has sent shockwaves through the medical community.

After Pfizer withdrew its sickle cell drug from the market, patients with the condition and their doctors were left scrambling to figure out what to do.

Pfizer's decision late on Wednesday to withdraw its sickle cell disease treatment due to the risk of death could help speed up trials of new experimental rivals, Wall Street analysts said.