Association between treatment-emergent cytopenias and clinical responses to imetelstat in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes - Takeaways - MDSpire

Association between treatment-emergent cytopenias and clinical responses to imetelstat in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

  • By

  • Amer M. Zeidan

  • Valeria Santini

  • María Díez-Campelo

  • Michael R. Savona

  • Mikkael A. Sekeres

  • Yazan F. Madanat

  • Pierre Fenaux

  • Azra Raza

  • Moshe Mittelman

  • Sylvain Thépot

  • Rena Buckstein

  • Ulrich Germing

  • David Valcárcel

  • Anna Jonášová

  • Sheetal Shah

  • Qi Xia

  • Libo Sun

  • Shyamala Navada

  • Tymara Berry

  • Uwe Platzbecker

  • Rami S. Komrokji

  • April 7, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Imetelstat is a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor approved for lower-risk MDS patients with RBC transfusion-dependent anemia.

  • 2

    In the IMerge trial, imetelstat significantly improved RBC transfusion independence compared to placebo.

  • 3

    Early treatment-emergent cytopenias, particularly neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, were common but transient and associated with low clinical consequences.

  • 4

    Maximum reductions in platelets and neutrophils during the first two cycles of imetelstat were linked to greater hemoglobin rises.

  • 5

    Patients with ≥50% platelet reduction had higher rates of achieving RBC transfusion independence lasting 24 weeks.

Original Source(s)

Association between treatment-emergent cytopenias and clinical responses to imetelstat in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

  • by Amer M. Zeidan, Valeria Santini, María Díez-Campelo, Michael R. Savona, Mikkael A. Sekeres, Yazan F. Madanat, Pierre Fenaux, Azra Raza, Moshe Mittelman, Sylvain Thépot, Rena Buckstein, Ulrich Germing, David Valcárcel, Anna Jonášová, Sheetal Shah, Qi Xia, Libo Sun, Shyamala Navada, Tymara Berry, Uwe Platzbecker, Rami S. Komrokji

  • April 7, 2026

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