Myelodysplastic Syndromes

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There was significant variability in test frequency and detection rates among patients with AML and MDS. | Image credit: Saiful52-stock.adobe.com

Gaps in Molecular Testing Rates, Targeted Treatment Persist in MDS, AML

By Rose McNulty

July 11th 2025

There are molecular testing gaps in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, highlighting the need for improved testing and targeted therapy integration.

A cornerstone of the proposed guidance is the emphasis on robust clinical trial design and appropriate patient selection. | Image Credit: wladimir1804 - stock.adobe.com

FDA Releases Draft Guidance for MDS Drug Development

By Sabrina Serani

July 10th 2025

$Patients with RS-negative low-risk MDS who were relapsed or refractory to or ineligible for ESAs appeared to experience clinical benefit with imetelstat treatment in a post hoc analysis. | Image credit: fotogurmespb - stock.adobe.com$

Imetelstat Shows Benefit in RS-Negative, Lower-Risk MDS

July 1st 2025

Venetoclax duration did not have a significant impact on overall survival based on univariate analysis in patients with AML or MDS. | Image credit: Sviatlana-stock.adobe.com

Venetoclax Duration Does Not Significantly Impact OS in AML or MDS

By Rose McNulty

June 18th 2025

The findings support the use of luspatercept as the first-line standard of care for anemia treatment in patients with MDS. | Image Credit: wanchalerm - stock.adobe.com

Real-World Data Support Luspatercept vs ESAs for Anemia in Lower-Risk MDS

By Rose McNulty

June 5th 2025

More News

Letter blocks of MDS | Image credit: Sviatlana-stock.adobe.com

February 22nd 2024

Venetoclax Plus HMA Therapy Shows Encouraging Results in Higher-Risk MDS/CMML

Laura Joszt, MA

Results of a phase 1/2 trial show encouraging outcomes for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) treated with the fully oral regimen of venetoclax and decitabine plus cedazuridine.

Businessman presenting concept about research innovation and experiments | Image credit: NicoElNino - stock.adobe.com

February 6th 2024

Signaling Pathways in MDS a Fruitful Area for Research, Drug Development

Jared Kaltwasser

A review of recent research into myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) shows a range of potential therapeutic targets.

Psychology and mental health, a female patient feeling nervous in a clinic for support | Image credit: KApeopleimages - stock.adobe.com

February 2nd 2024

Uncertainty, Coping Strategies Common Among Patients With AML, High-Risk MDS

Patients with comorbid acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) expressed a desire to discuss treatment options and maintain normalcy; they were not willing to have conversations involving their prognosis and future.

Leukemia cells - LASZLO - stock.adobe.com.jpg

January 26th 2024

Oral and IV Decitabine/Cedazuridine Prove Comparable in MDS

The phase 3 ASCERTAIN study found that orally administered decitabine and cedazuridine had similar pharmacologic effects compared with intravenously administered decitabine.

MDS from stone blocks | Image credit: Sviatlana-stock.adobe.com.

January 26th 2024

Real-World Data Show Suboptimal Efficacy With AZA in Treatment-Naïve High-Risk MDS

Pulling data from a US electronic health record–based database, researchers found low rates of complete remission and poor overall survival among 382 patients who had myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) receiving first-line azacytidine (AZA).

Meylodysplastic syndrome | Image Credit: syahrir - stock.adobe.com

January 23rd 2024

Study Highlights Need for Additional Caregiver Support in Higher-Risk MDS

The study, which pulled self-reported data from online bulletin boards across the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom in 2020, found that the degree of burden varied based on patient disease stage, among other factors.

Myelodysplastic syndrome | Image Credit: Sviatlana - stock.adobe.com

January 17th 2024

Online Workshop Reveals Patient, Future Research Priorities in MDS

Myelodysplastic syndrome is an extremely heterogeneous disease, and there is no definitive cure, so these investigators wanted a better understanding of patients’ priorities regarding their care, quality of life, and communication with the care team.

Top 5 myelodysplastic syndromes articles of 2023

December 22nd 2023

Top 5 Most-Read Myelodysplastic Syndromes Articles of 2023

An August approval of luspatercept, sold as Reblozyl, which promises to alleviate transfusion burdens for patients with lower-risk MDS, was among the news items that drew readers’ attention.

MDS | Image credit: Astex Pharmaceuticals

December 20th 2023

Data Show Trend Toward Improved Persistence After 6 Months With Oral MDS Regimen

The authors concluded that the data support consideration of the oral regimen of decitabine and cedazuridine to reduce the treatment burden associated with intraveous or subcutaneous hypomethylating agents in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Reblozyl | image credit: Bristol Myers Squibb

December 16th 2023

COMMANDS: Updated Data for Luspatercept for Treatment of Anemia in ESA-Naïve Patients With Lower-Risk MDS Presented at ASH

The data were presented December 9, 2023, during the 65th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, California.

Zeidan | Image credit: Yale Medical School

December 5th 2023

Imetelstat Offers Benefits for Patients With MDS Who Are Red Blood Cell–Transfusion Dependent

The past year has offered new hope for patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. Besides imetelstat, which has an FDA deadline for action of June 2024, the agency approved luspatercept, which has a different mechanism of action.

Women with MDS benefited from a 7-day dosing schedule | Image credit: Moffitt Cancer Center

November 30th 2023

7-Day Dosing of Azacytidine Shows Benefit for Females With High-Risk MDS Not Seen in Males

Investigators from several medical centers in Japan were surprised to find that women with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) had a survival advantage from a 7-day dosing schedule, but that benefit compared with a reduced schedule was not seen in men.

Red Blood Cells | Image credit: Design Cells - stock.adobe.com

November 27th 2023

Allogeneic HCT Provides OS Benefit Independent of TP53 Allelic Status in MDS

Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome harboring a TP53 mutation experienced a survival benefit with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation compared with non-HCT treatment regardless of TP53 allelic status.

Blood cells flowing | Image credit: Катерина Євтехова - stock.adobe.com

November 23rd 2023

ESAs Do Not Improve Hb Levels in Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Data from a retrospective study spotlight a need for more effective first-line and second-line clinical management strategies to improve outcomes in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

MDS with ring sideroblasts | Girish Venkataraman, MD, MBBS; ASH Image Bank

November 9th 2023

Authors Support Trials of Triplet Therapy in Higher-Risk MDS

Given the likelihood of MDS to progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the authors state, “There are certain settings where ‘AML-like’ therapies are appropriate in MDS, particularly given our evolving understanding of the overlapping biology of these malignancies.”

FDA Approved | Image credit: chrisdorney - stock.adobe.com

October 27th 2023

FDA Approves Ivosidenib in IDH1-Mutated MDS

Ivosidenib monotherapy is now approved by the FDA for patients with relapsed/refractory myelodysplastic syndrome with an IDH1 mutation.

Image Credit: Kurhan / Shutterstock

October 20th 2023

Higher Leptin Levels, Body Fat Linked to MDS in Study

The authors discussed a polymorphism of the LEP gene associated not only with cancer, but also with chronic diseases including obesity and diabetes, offering them a reason to look into the relationship between LEP and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Image Credit: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

October 15th 2023

Comorbidity Index Predicts Vulnerability of Patients With Myelofibrosis

Investigators evaluated 70 patients in a retrospective study.

blood flowing

October 6th 2023

67% With MDS, AML From Fanconi Anemia Alive at 5 Years Following Allo-HSCT

The rare disease Fanconi anemia is an inherited bone marrow disorder linked to birth defects that leads to failure of bone marrow, the spongy material inside the bones where stem cells develop.

Blood cells flowing | Image credit: Катерина Євтехова - stock.adobe.com.jpg

September 25th 2023

Updates Are Driving the Field of MDS Forward, but Changes Still Needed

Laura Joszt, MA

In just the last 2 years there have been updates in classification, risk assessment, and response criteria in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but additional efforts are needed to improve these, and there remains a need for better therapies.

Blood cells illustration | Image credit: Катерина Євтехова - stock.adobe.com

September 18th 2023

Flow Cytometry, Cytomorphological Features Correlate With MDS Prognosis

Characteristics including Ogata score and phenotypic aberrancies may correlate with mutational patterns that are predictive of treatment response in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Blood flowing

August 31st 2023

Allogeneic HCT Improves Survival Rates for TP53-Mutated MDS

A recent study suggests that patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) could potentially benefit from allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) regardless of genetic mutation status.

FDA Approves Luspatercept as First-Line Anemia Treatment in Patients With Lower-Risk MDS

August 29th 2023

FDA Approves Luspatercept as First-Line Anemia Treatment in Patients With Lower-Risk MDS

The FDA has approved an expanded indication for luspatercept (Reblozyl) for the first-line treatment of anemia in patients with low-risk MDS who may require blood transfusions.

venetoclax

August 22nd 2023

Review: Venetoclax Plus HMAs Offer “Moderate” Benefit in AML/MDS After Relapse Post Transplant

There is no standard treatment in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) for patients who have a relapse following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

August 18th 2023

FDA Accepts Filing for Priority Review for Ivosidenib to Treat IDH1-Mutated R/R MDS

The targeted therapy already has indications in acute myeloid leukemia.

hand holding vial of blood

August 9th 2023

Small Study Shows Utility of ctDNA for Monitoring Treatment Response, Evolution of MDS, AML

Investigators from China used circulating tumor DNA testing alongside bone marrow assessments to evaluate patients' pretreatment and posttreatment disease levels and to track the course of the disease.

data on screen representing a clinical trial

August 7th 2023

Gilead Discontinues Phase 3 ENHANCE Trial of Magrolimab/Azacitidine in Higher-Risk MDS

The phase 3 ENHANCE trial evaluating the first-line combination of magrolimab and azacitidine vs placebo plus azacitidine in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome has been discontinued due to futility at a planned analysis.

Garcia-Mareno

July 29th 2023

Annual Clinical Update on MDS Sees Hope in Precision Medicine, Use of Oral Therapy

An overview of the 2023 recommendations on myelodysplastic syndromes by Guillermo Garcia-Mareno, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, appears in the August issue of the American Journal of Hematology.

Clinical trial

July 27th 2023

Investigators Discontinue Trial Assessing Magrolimab Combo in Higher-Risk MDS

Investigators will submit data from the phase 3 ENHANCE trial evaluating magrolimab plus azacitidine in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes for presentation at a future medical meeting.

Blood in Test Tubes

July 19th 2023

Common CVD Biomarkers May Hold Prognostic Value in MDS, Study Finds

The findings suggest that circulating N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and growth differentiation factor-15, both soluble biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD), may be indicators of the course of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and outcomes.

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