Valeria Santini, MD, on Imetelstat for Lower-Risk MDS: Long-Term Outcomes From the IMerge Trial
ASH 2025
The telomerase inhibitor imetelstat was approved for the treatment of certain patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) based on the results of the phase III IMerge trial. Valeria Santini, MD, of the University of Florence, provides updates on secondary endpoints, including overall and progression-free survival; progression to acute myeloid leukemia; safety; and long-term outcomes by subgroups of interest in IMerge, as well as ad hoc outcomes, including overall survival by response (Abstract 2074).
The ASCO Post Staff
Ibrahim Aldoss, MD, of City of Hope, presents findings from a small, single-center study of patients aged 55 years and older with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission who were treated with CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy. Researchers found the therapy was safe, resulted in low-grade adverse events, and led to preliminary durable measurable residual disease response (Abstract 443).
The ASCO Post Staff
Mikkael Sekeres, MD, MS, Chief, Division of Hematology and Professor of Medicine at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, presents findings from a new study that connects exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange to earlier and more severe cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Researchers concluded that exposure is associated with younger age at MDS diagnosis, ultimate MDS diagnosis, genetic complexity of MDS, increased risk of disease progression, and with Black race (Abstract 5626).
The ASCO Post Staff
Amir Fathi, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses data from the phase II PARADIGM trial, which prospectively tested whether azacitidine plus venetoclax was superior to intensive induction chemotherapy in fit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—and could challenge the current treatment standard (Abstract 6).
The ASCO Post Staff
Krina Patel, MD, MSc, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, provides updated results from the fully enrolled, ongoing iMMagine-1 phase II registrational trial of anitocabtagene autoleucel, an autologous anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy with a novel D-domain binder. The agent is under development for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 256).
The ASCO Post Staff
Brian Ball, MD, of City of Hope, presents updated results from the phase I/II BEXMAB study. They showed that the doublet had encouraging activity in patients with TP53-mutant, higher-risk MDS; translational data support the combination regimen’s potential for altering immune dysregulation in this subtype (Abstract 236).
