Luspatercept Approval Helps to Improve Hemoglobin and QOL in MDS

Luspartacept-aamt (Reblozyl) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), having shown efficacy in improving hemoglobin and reducing adverse effects such as anemia, fatigue, and shortness of breath, according to Naval G. Daver, MD.¹

CancerNetwork spoke with Daver, an associate professor in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, during the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting to discuss the potential implications of the approval. The approval was based on the phase 3 COMMANDS trial (NCT03682536) the results of which were presented at the meeting.²

Of the patients in the intent-to-treat population who received luspatercept, 58.5% achieved transfusion independence for at least 12 weeks, with a hemoglobin increase of 1.5 g/dL compared with 31.2% of patients who received epoetin alfa. Additionally, the median time to first red blood cell transfusion was 168.0 weeks in the experimental arm vs 42.0 weeks in the control group.

Transcript:

Luspatercept is a growth factor that predominantly helps to improve hemoglobin. It’s being looked at in a slightly different population of MDS—low- and very low–risk MDS by IPSSR [Revised International Prognostic Scoring System].The main effect of luspatercept is to improve the hemoglobin and lead to transfusion independence.

This is great for our patients with low-risk MDS who may not need chemotherapy or hypomethylating agent or transplant, but their quality of life is impacted negatively because of the anemia. With luspatercept we will be able to [improve] the hemoglobin,avoid anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath, and reduction in quality of life. Often, many of these patients with lower-risk MDS, if we can manage our cytopenias, [they] may not need further therapy or transplant. This is where I think luspatercept could fit in very nicely.

References

1. U.S. FDA approves Bristol Myers Squibb’s Reblozyl® (luspatercept-aamt) as first-line treatment of anemia in adults with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who may require transfusions. News release. Bristol Myers Squibb. August 28, 2023. Accessed August 29, 2023. https://bit.ly/3qH7YEQ
2. Garcia-Manero G, Platzbecker U, Santini V, et al. Efficacy and safety results from the COMMANDS trial: A phase 3 study evaluating luspatercept vs epoetin alfa in erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA)‑naive transfusion-dependent (TD) patients (pts) with lower‑risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). J Clin Oncol. 2023;41(suppl 16):7003. doi:10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.7003