During the MPN Hub Steering Committee meeting, Ruben Mesa discussed anemia as an unmet need and the impact on quality of life and survival outcomes in patients with myelofibrosis (MF).

1. Anemia in patients with MF is a complex, multifactorial process, and can be exacerbated by treatment with some Janus kinase inhibitors, including ruxolitinib and fedratinib.1,2
2. Anemia is common in patients with primary MF, with one study reporting hemoglobin levels <10 g/dL in 38% of patients at the time of diagnosis, increasing to 58 % in patients seen within 1 year since diagnosis.3
3. Anemia can negatively impact overall survival; in a study of 1,109 consecutive patients with primary MF, the median overall survival among patients with no, mild, moderate, and severe anemia was 7.9 years, 4.9 years, 3.4 years, and 2.1 years, respectively.4
4. Anemia also negatively impacts patients' quality of life; a study of 85 patients with MF showed that anemia responders had greater improvements in quality of life vs nonresponders.5
5. There is a need for effective treatments to address MF-related anemia.

This educational resource is independently supported by GSK and Bristol Myers Squibb. All content was developed by SES in collaboration with an expert steering committee. Funders were allowed no influence on the content of this resource.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The MPN Hub was pleased to speak to Aaron Gerds, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, US. Gerds discussed treating anemia in patients with myelofibrosis (MF).

Gerds highlights the impact of anemia on survival outcomes in patients with MF, and reviews key data from the phase II ACE-536-MF-001 trial (NCT03194542) evaluating the safety and efficacy of luspatercept in patients with MF and anemia, including patients with and without transfusion dependence and concurrent Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition. He then highlights the ongoing randomized, phase III INDEPENDENCE trial (NCT04717414) assessing the safety and efficacy of luspatercept in combination with ruxolitinib in transfusion-dependent patients with MF. Finally, Gerds discusses potential future combinations of luspatercept with ACVR1 inhibitors.

This educational resource is independently supported by Bristol Myers Squibb. All content was developed by SES in collaboration with an expert steering committee. Funders were allowed no influence on the content of this resource.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The MPN Hub was pleased to speak to Aaron Gerds, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, US. We asked, How might luspatercept benefit patients with myelofibrosis (MF)?

Aaron Gerds opens by discussing the prevalence and issue of anemia in patients with MF, noting that almost all patients will become anemic at some point in the course of their disease. Gerds discusses luspatercept as a treatment option in this indication, sharing the latest clinical trial data and emphasizing the benefit of a reduction in transfusion dependency for patients treated with luspatercept. The interview closes with a look to ongoing clinical trials, including the INDEPENDENCE study and the implications of these data on future management strategies for anemic myelofibrosis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.