Luspatercept for treating anaemia due to myelodysplastic syndromes

Luspatercept is being developed to treat patients with anaemia who are diagnosed with very low to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who require red blood cell transfusions and have never been exposed to a drug known as an erythropoiesis stimulating agent. MDS are a form of blood cancer where the bone marrow fails to produce enough healthy, mature blood cells. This leads to a shortage of healthy, mature blood cells, causing a variety of problems, most commonly anaemia. The scoring system helps group patients based on their disease severity so they can be allocated to the appropriate treatment. Low to intermediate risk refers to the risk of developing acute myeloid leukaemia as a result of their MDS. Common symptoms include tiredness, breathlessness and frequent infections. MDS patients require red blood cell transfusions regularly to keep their red blood cell levels up, this can be a significant commitment and come with its own risks.