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 Nplate (romiplostim) may be effective in the treatment of thrombocytopenia in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients according to a recent study, and may prove to be an alternative treatment to platelet transfusions for MDS patients with thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels) can be an unfavorable prognostic factor for MDS survival. Increased thrombocytopenia is often linked to a shorter time to AML progression. Platelet transfusions are currently the only available treatment option for thrombocytopenia. Transfusions carry a set of risks including alloimmunization, allergic reaction, infection, and lung injury. Alloimmunization is a type of immunity that often makes platelet transfusions ineffective. Nplate is a protein consisting of a peptide and an antibody (peptibody) that increases platelet production.… Read the full story » | . |
U.K. Agency Does Not Recommend Vidaza For MDS Patients – The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for patients in England and Wales, released a final draft guidance on March 3 recommending that Vidaza (azacitidine) not be used to treat MDS. Although Vidaza may extend survival by nine months compared to standard therapy for MDS, NICE concluded that due to the drug’s high cost it cannot be recommended as a cost-effective treatment. The final guidance deciding the use of Vidaza in the U.K. will be released in May. Celgene, the company that produces Vidaza, has stated it will appeal the NICE decision. The European Medicines Agency approved Vidaza for treatment of MDS in March 2009. For more information, see the NICE Web site and related Beacon news.
How to Understand Your Lab Results And What They Mean – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is sponsoring an event to help blood cancer patients understand their blood test results. Dr. Thomas Butler will be leading the discussion on March 17 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. This event is free, and light refreshments will be served. To attend, please register through the LLS by March 15.
MDS Webinar: Treating Lower-Risk MDS – The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF) is sponsoring a webinar, including lecture and case studies, to present current treatment options for lower-risk MDS patients. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres of the Cleveland Clinic will explain the differences between higher-risk and lower-risk MDS, review the factors that influence specific treatment decisions, and discuss treatments that are under development. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 18 beginning at 3 p.m. EST. For more information or to register, please see the AA&MDSIF Web site.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
Caregivers are often a very important part of a person’s fight against myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Patients need to focus on their health and may not be well enough to drive themselves to doctor appointments or to keep up with house chores. They also need someone that they can talk to about treatment options and about the emotional roller coaster they may be experiencing.
Patients lean or even depend on their caregiver, and yet as a caregiver, you are also going through an emotionally and physically difficult time as you watch a…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) evaluation of Exjade (deferasirox) has concluded that the drug should not be prescribed to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients with poor prognoses or high-risk disease due to the possibility of liver or kidney impairment and gastrointestinal bleeding. It now requires Novartis, which markets Exjade, to include a highlighted “black box warning” in the prescribing information cautioning physicians and patients about its potentially serious or fatal side effects.
Exjade is an iron chelating agent that works to remove excess iron, which may have built up in…
Recombinant erythropoietin (r-EPO) without granulyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) may lead to longer survival times in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients according to an analysis conducted by Italian researchers.
Recombinant erythropoietin alpha is an erythroid stimulating agent that stimulates red blood cell production. It is beneficial for MDS patients with anemia (low red blood cell count) and can reduce transfusion-dependence and improve quality of life. Recombinant means that the erythropoietin originates from an external organism and not from the patients’ own bodies.
Past studies reported patients benefited from r-EPO administered in combination with G-CSF.…
The success of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients is determined by the stage of disease, rather than age or intensity of the pre-transplant regimen, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation, or allotransplantation, involves destroying patient bone marrow by chemotherapy or radiation and replacing it with healthy bone marrow from a matched donor. Although this process is the only cure for MDS, it does not guarantee full recovery.
Transplants were previously not an option for older patients because…