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

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.

Pfizer’s decision Wednesday to pull its sickle cell pill off the market because of safety concerns shocked advocates and doctors, leaving many searching for answers and scrambling for ways to notify their patients about a drug that has long divided the community.