The MDS Beacon™

U.K. Agency To Re-Assess Vidaza Use In Myelodysplastic Syndromes – The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for English and Welsh patients, will re-assess the use of Vidaza (azacitidine) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients after Celgene, the manufacturer of Vidaza, and other organizations successfully appealed NICE’s recommendation that Vidaza not be used to treat MDS. The European Medicines Agency approved Vidaza for treatment of MDS in March 2009. For more information on the ruling, please see the related press release.

Webinar: What’s On The Horizon For MDS Treatment? – The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation will be holding a free webinar entitled “What’s on the Horizon for MDS Treatment?” at 3 p.m. EST today. Dr. David Steensma of Harvard University will be presenting new and emerging therapies for MDS and their implications on patient survival. For more information and to register, please see the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation website.

4^th Annual Jack Ingold Memorial Golf Outing – The 4^th Annual Jack Ingold Memorial Golf Outing will take place on August 16 at 10 a.m. at The Club at Nevillewood in Presto, PA, to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This event includes lunch, golfing, dinner, cocktails, live music, and more. For more information, please see the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website.

For a more detailed listing of MDS related events, please check the MDS Beacon events calendar.