Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS

Panelists discuss how the future treatment landscape for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) appears promising with several ongoing clinical trials exploring novel combinations and targeted therapies, including investigations of venetoclax combinations, magrolimab, sabatolimab, and other immune-based approaches that could potentially improve outcomes across different risk groups and molecular subtypes.

Panelists discuss how treatment strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are fundamentally guided by risk stratification, with lower-risk patients typically receiving supportive care and less intensive treatments focused on quality of life and symptom management while intermediate- to high-risk patients require more aggressive approaches, including hypomethylating agents and consideration for stem cell transplantation, with emerging data supporting novel combinations and targeted therapies across the risk spectrum.

Panelists discuss how oral decitabine/cedazuridine demonstrated meaningful clinical activity in patients with TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), with a 31% complete response rate and 16.1-month median overall survival, representing an important treatment advance for this traditionally poor-prognosis molecular subgroup.

Panelists discuss how oral decitabine/cedazuridine showed encouraging efficacy in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with TP53 mutations, suggesting this oral formulation could be particularly beneficial for this historically difficult-to-treat molecular subgroup.

Panelists discuss how the ASCERTAIN trial demonstrated that oral decitabine plus cedazuridine provided comparable efficacy to injectable decitabine.

Panelists discuss how hypomethylating agents remain the cornerstone of therapy for intermediate to high-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Panelists discuss how the primary therapeutic goals for patients with intermediate- to high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) focus on extending survival and modifying disease course through intensive treatments like hypomethylating agents or stem cell transplantation while addressing unique challenges such as treatment resistance, poor response durability, and limited options after hypomethylating agents failure.

The panelists discuss the newest risk stratification tool, IPSS-M.

Key opinion leaders summarize their main insights and key takeaways from the EHA 2024 conference regarding advances in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome treatment.

The expert panel explores the future landscape of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome treatment, considering recent approvals and emerging clinical data.

Key opinion leaders (KOLs) examine real-world evidence and draw on their clinical experiences to inform their practice, discussing real-world dose escalations and key insights gained from practical application.

Medical professionals deliberate on patient selection criteria for second-line imetelstat treatment in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, incorporating findings from the IMerge study into their considerations.

Medical experts discuss sequencing strategies for second-line and later treatments in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, examining how recent data, including insights from the MEDALIST trial, influence treatment selection and sequencing decisions.

Medical experts explore alternative treatment options for lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (LR-MDS) patients who are not suitable candidates for first-line luspatercept therapy.

Key opinion leaders evaluate the safety profiles of available frontline treatments for patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, including observed adverse reactions.

Medical professionals examine the utilization patterns of luspatercept in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) and their impact on patient treatment strategies.

Experts in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes analyze and interpret the comparative biomarker data on ring sideroblasts in LR-MDS patients from the COMMANDS study.

The panel examines the COMMANDS trial results, focusing on luspatercept's effects across erythroid, neutrophil, and platelet lineages and their implications for treatment decisions, while also exploring how genomic factors and mutational burden influence the drug's clinical outcomes in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

The experts examine the COMMANDS trial, which assessed luspatercept in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients, detailing the trial's design, participant groups, and key outcome measures.

A key opinion leader offers insights and analysis on the recently presented COMMANDS trial data from the European Hematology Association 2024 conference.

The experts examine the COMMANDS trial, which assessed luspatercept in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients, detailing the trial's design, participant groups, and key outcome measures.

The experts describe their strategies for selecting first-line treatments in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients, focusing on the key factors that inform their sequencing decisions in frontline therapy.

Key opinion leaders address various challenges linked to lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, with a focus on cytopenias.

The expert panel in hematology examines recent WHO and ICC guideline updates, evaluating their impact on the evolving treatment landscape for myelodysplastic syndromes.

Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS, presents data from the IMerge phase 3 study on the efficacy of imetelstat in achieving red blood cell transfusion independence across different risk subgroups in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes relapsed/refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.

Closing their discussion, the panel shares some parting comments on the recent updates in the MDS treatment landscape and hopes for the future.

Dr Zeidan highlights ongoing clinical trials for treatment of higher-risk MDS.

Dr Brunner presents updated data on the treatment of lower-risk MDS with IRAK1/IRAK4 inhibitors.

Dr Carraway discusses data updates on oral hypomethylating agents (HMAs) decitabine and azacitidine for the treatment of lower-risk MDS.

Dr Zeidan shares data presented at ASCO 2023 on the first-in-class agent Imetelstat for the treatment of lower-risk MDS.