Fulcrum Therapeutics presented early ASH data showing a higher dose of its oral candidate pociredir increased levels of fetal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease. In the small cohort receiving 20 mg daily, fetal hemoglobin rose from roughly 7.1% to 16.9%, a change that could reduce vaso-occlusive events if replicated in larger trials. The result provides a proof-of-concept for an oral, small-molecule approach to induce fetal hemoglobin and offers a potential low-cost alternative to gene and cell therapies, pending larger efficacy and safety studies.