The MDS Beacon™

Belinostat, a new drug under development that has been shown to kill cancer cells and stop cell growth, is not an effective treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) when used alone, found a recent Phase 2 clinical trial. The findings were presented on June 5 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2010 annual meeting.

Belinostat, which is being jointly developed by the U.S. company Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and the Danish company TopoTarget, belongs to the class of drugs known as HDAC…

Intravenous Clolar (clofarabine) shows activity in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), found a Phase 2 clinical trial presented June 7 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) 2010 Annual Meeting. Out of 58 trial participants with various subtypes of MDS, 36 percent responded to intravenous Clolar, reaching either complete response or improved blood cell counts, known as hematological improvement.

“Clolar’s activity does not seem to be dose-dependent,” said Dr. Elias Jabbour from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Clolar is currently…

Researchers yesterday presented interim results of an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of sapacitabine.  The clinical trial is being conducted with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who are resistant to treatment with Vidaza (azacitidine) or Dacogen (decitabine).  Researchers presented the trial results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2010 annual meeting in Chicago.

Sapacitabine is a new drug being developed by Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals as a potential treatment for MDS and acute myeloid leukemia.  Sapacitabine damages the DNA of…

Almost all people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) get anemia, or low red blood cell levels, as a result of MDS. “Anemia is almost universal in MDS,” wrote Dr. David Steensma of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in an e-mail to the MDS Beacon.

In MDS, the bone marrow produces reduced amounts of mature blood cells of all types, including red blood cells, so people with MDS are especially at risk for anemia.

Red blood cells are often the first to be…