Articles tagged with: Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation
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Researchers Present Data For Faster Automated Reading System For Peripheral Blood Smears - Last week at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, researchers presented data for a new automated slide scanning system from Nextslide Imaging for the examination of peripheral blood smears. The data showed that Nextslide Imaging’s device can read peripheral blood smears, including those of myelodysplastic syndromes patients, more quickly with the accuracy of a human. Nextslide Imaging will seek approval for the new device by the US Food and Drug Administration. For more information, please refer to Doctor’s Guide and Nextslide Imaging’s website.
One-Day Conference For MDS Patients And Their Families – On November 9, the Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Foundation will host a free one-day conference for MDS patients and their families at the Durham Convention Center in Durham, NC. The conference starts at 10 a.m. with a patient support group discussion. In the afternoon, Dr. Carlos de Castro from Duke University Medical Center will speak about new therapies and treatment options for MDS. For more information, please see the MDS Foundation website.
Free Program For MDS Patients And Families In Orlando – Nurse practitioner Joan Latsko will speak about key quality of life issues for MDS patients at a free program on November 13 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, FL. The event is being sponsored by the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation and will run from 10 a.m. till noon. For more information or to RSVP, please see the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation newsletter.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
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Light The Night Walks – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual fundraising walks will be held at multiple locations throughout the United States and Canada this fall. Participants will light the night by carrying illuminated balloons to support the fight against blood cancers. Funds raised during the events will help fund lifesaving blood cancer research. For more information, to find an upcoming walk in your area, or to register to participate, please visit the Light the Night Walk website.
Living With MDS Conference For Patients And Families – A free, one-day conference about living with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) will be held at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel in Elizabeth, NJ, on October 16. Patients and their families are invited to learn about developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MDS from leading experts. The program will run from 8:45 a.m. till 3:45 p.m., and complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided. The event is being sponsored by the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. For additional information or to register, please visit the conference website.
Conference For MDS Patients And Caregivers – Another free, one-day conference for MDS patients and their caregivers will be held at the Philadelphia Mariott Downtown on October 18. Leading experts in the field will discuss recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MDS. The event is being sponsored by the MDS Foundation. For additional information or to register, please visit the MDS Foundation website.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
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Canada Approves Vidaza For High-Risk MDS Patients — Health Canada, the nation’s drug regulator, has approved the sale and use of Vidaza (azacitidine) in Canada as a treatment for intermediate-2 or high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) unable to receive stem cell transplants. Celgene Corp., the company that markets Vidaza, says that it plans to make Vidaza commercially available in Canada in January, 2010. The Health Canada approval is based primarily on the results of the AZA-001 study, which showed that MDS patients receiving Vidaza had significantly higher survival rates than those receiving conventional care regimens. For more information, please see the Celgene press release or the Health Canada Web site.
U.S. MDS Patient And Family Forum —The MDS Foundation is sponsoring a free educational forum for MDS patients and their families on December 18 in Lake Success, NY. The main speaker will be Dr. Steven Allen of the North Shore University Hospital. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information about registering, please see The MDS Foundation Web site.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
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FDA Declines To Approve Clolar As Treatment For Adult AML Patients – On October 6, Genzyme Corporation reported that the FDA has declined to approve the company’s application to market Clolar (clofarabine) as a treatment for adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Clolar is currently approved for the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have relapsed or failed to respond to at least two other drugs. Genzyme says that the FDA is recommending a randomized, controlled clinical study of Clolar in adult AML patients as a condition for approving Clolar’s use in those patients, and that the company plans to meet with the FDA to discuss next steps. Genzyme is also investigating Clolar as a treatment for MDS and several other conditions. For more information, please see the Genzyme press release. For information on Clolar trials for MDS patients, please see the U.S. government’s Clinical Trials Web site.
MDS U.S. Patient And Family Forum – The Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation will be holding a Patient and Family Forum in Pittsburgh, PA on October 21. Guest speaker Dr. James Rossetti of the Western Pennsylvania Cancer Institute will provide important information for MDS patients and their families. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information about registering for the event or for a detailed listing of upcoming U.S. or international forums, please see the MDS Foundation Web site.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
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Researchers Find Possible Gene Target for MDS Therapy - Researchers from the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, report that the gene RhoB plays an important role in the development of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). They found, in particular, that MDS progresses more rapidly when levels of the protein produced by RhoB are low. There is hope that examining RhoB levels in MDS advanced patients may help in the selection of the most appropriate treatments, and that future therapies will target this gene to prevent MDS progression. For more details, please see the related press release.
FDA Advisory Committee Set to Review Ferriprox - (See important update immediately below) On October 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) will review the iron chelating agent Ferriprox (deferiprone) for possible marketing approval in the U.S. Ferriprox is approved for sale in a number of countries outside of the U.S., and is used to treat iron overload in patients who require frequent blood transfusions. The meeting will include presentations by Ferriprox manufacturer ApoPharma Inc. and the FDA staff as well as questions from the public. The FDA usually follows the advice it receives from its advisory committees, but it is not required by law to do so. For more information, please see the meeting’s draft agenda and the Ferriprox Web site (intended for non-U.S. visitors).
Update: The FDA has announced that the Ferrirprox review meeting has been cancelled “to allow time for the FDA to review and resolve several outstanding issues.” The agency says that it intends to continue evaluating Ferriprox, and it will reschedule the ODAC meeting “as needed.”
Living With Myelodysplastic Syndromes One-Day Conference – The Moffitt Cancer Center and the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF) are sponsoring a free opportunity to learn about the latest MDS diagnostic and treatment information, and ask questions of leading MDS researchers. This one-day conference will be on Saturday, October 10, at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Space is limited, so please register by October 2. For more information, please visit the AA&MDSIF Web site.
MDS Patient & Family Forum – Participate in a forum organized by the Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation on Tuesday, October 6, in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Karen Yee from Princess Margaret Hospital will be providing information pertinent to MDS patients and their families. Individuals must register by calling 1-800-MDS-0839 or emailing dmurray@mds-foundation.org. For a listing of other upcoming U.S. and international forums, please see the MDS Foundation Web site.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.