Results of a recent Phase 1 study indicate that oral Vidaza is active in both untreated and previously treated myelodysplastic syndromes patients. Untreated patients showed a particularly high response rate to oral Vidaza.

However, the study authors pointed out that larger studies are needed to confirm their findings.

Vidaza (azacitidine) is currently approved for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with a dosing schedule of either twice-daily injections under the skin or a daily intravenous infusion for seven days, followed by a 21-day treatment-free interval.

According to the study authors, Vidaza…

Results of a small Australian study indicate that the elimination of bone marrow cells with chromosomal abnormalities is not necessary for myelodysplastic patients to experience an improvement in blood cell counts in response to treatment with Vidaza.

Chromosomes, which are tightly wound coils of DNA, store the genetic information of a cell. An individual’s karyotype, or profile of the chromosomes arranged by size and type, strongly impacts the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decisions of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

In many MDS patients, cells in the bone marrow display chromosomal…

A group of Italian researchers recently found that Vidaza induced high response rates in low-risk myelodysplastic patients who were resistant to therapy with red blood cell stimulating agents. In several cases, patients maintained a response for a long period after Vidaza treatment ended.

Based on these findings, the researchers suggested that treatment discontinuation could be attempted in patients who respond to treatment. However, they also noted that it is not currently known whether Vidaza would still be effective in patients who relapsed after stopping treatment.

Dr. Carlo Finelli, lead author…

Myelodysplastic syndromes physicians and researchers are gathering at the 16th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in London to share the latest findings in the field. The meeting starts today and will run through Sunday, June 12.

The MDS Beacon will report on the most important new findings related to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) over the next couple of weeks.

The research presented at the meeting will cover all areas of hematology, which is the study of blood, blood-forming organs, and blood-related diseases, including MDS.

Today researchers will have the…

French researchers recently found that a mutation in the TET2 gene improved response rates to Vidaza in myelodysplastic syndromes patients, but it did not have a positive impact on response duration or survival.

The researchers explained that the mutation may increase patients’ sensitivity to Vidaza treatment and therefore lead to better response rates. However, they pointed out that further studies are needed to confirm their findings.

The ten-eleven-translocation 2 (TET2) gene encodes a protein that suppresses tumor growth. According to the French researchers, the TET2 gene is mutated in 15…