Articles related to ANEMIA

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD of MD Anderson Cancer Center, is interviewed for answers to the questions of when to start treatment in a patient with myelofibrosis, an update on current treatment options, considerations for selecting treatment, dose optimization, sequencing of therapy, and more.

A newly developed prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (agents that increase endogenous erythropoietin production) holds the promise of improving outcomes for patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease. Randomized controlled trials have found these drugs to be at least as effective as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said “no” to Akebia Therapeutics’ drug application for vadadustat, a therapy to treat anemia due to chronic kidney disease. Vadadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to mimic the physiologic effect of altitude on oxygen availability. The FDA cited safety concerns as the main reason for it rejecting the application.

After diagnosis during a partial mastectomy, this patient’s estimated blood loss was 58 mL, causing anemia and requiring a red blood cell transfusion along with ventriculoperitoneal drain placement. With a substantive bleeding history before the diagnosis, what would you do next with this patient? Work her up for von Willebrand disease? Do a complete blood count test to look at platelet count, a peripheral smear to look at the morphology of the platelets, and a coagulation profile? Offer genetic testing for fibrinogen disorders? What would your next steps be? Read the full case presentation and expert opinion to see how your peers responded.

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) is the most prevalent form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), accounting for 60% to 70% of all cases. In this special instructional series from Blood (ASH), five patient case studies and commentaries are examined, backed by visual illustrations and new/existing drug treatment tables for wAIHA, wAIHA secondary to CLL, and R/R wAIHA.

This “Clinical Trials & Observations” report from Blood Advances (ASH)  explores the implications of the recently approved anemia treatment luspatercept, which can now be prescribed in the second-line setting after erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have failed or for patients who are not eligible because of high serum erythropoietin (sEPO) levels. A downloadable visual abstract helps paint the picture as well.