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
Jayastu Senapati, MBBS, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, presents initial results from a phase II trial of brexucabtagene autoleucel as consolidation therapy in front-line high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) or relapsed/refractory B-ALL after cytoreduction (Abstract 1573).
The ASCO Post Staff
Aaron Logan, MD, PhD, of UCSF Health, discusses research examining the effect of transplant before or after treatment with brexucabtagene autoleucel in the real world for adult patients with relapsed or refractory Philadelphia chromosome–negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (Abstract 516).
The ASCO Post Staff
Amer Zeidan, MBBS, of Yale School of Medicine, discusses findings from an analysis of the IMerge trial, which explored the possible association between imetelstat-related cytopenias and hemoglobin increase—a measure linked to red blood cell transfusion independence achievement—in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (Abstract 490).
The ASCO Post Staff
Karthik Ramasamy, MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD, of the University of Oxford, discusses initial results of the phase II/III UK-based RADAR trial. The study evaluated isatuximab, bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone, and cyclophosphamide induction, followed by single autologous stem cell transplant, consolidation with isatuximab plus bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone, and isatuximab plus lenalidomide maintenance, in patients with double-hit multiple myeloma (Abstract 98).
The ASCO Post Staff
Amer Zeidan, MBBS, of Yale School of Medicine, shares results from the phase I/II BEXMAB study, which examined the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of bexmarilimab—a novel macrophage checkpoint inhibitor targeting Clever-1—in combination with the standard of care, azacitidine, in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including those with TP53-mutated disease. (Abstract 236).
