Authors: Lesley J Scott
Publish Date: 2016/05/18
Volume: 76, Issue: 8, Pages: 889-900
Abstract
Azacitidine Vidaza® is a pyrimidine nucleoside analogue of cytidine and is approved in the EU for use in patients with higherrisk myelodysplastic syndromes MDS and acute myeloid leukaemia AML including older patients aged ≥65 years with AML with 30 bone marrow blasts BMB who are ineligible for haematopoietic stem cell transplant This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of azacitidine in the treatment of these patient populations as well as summarizing its pharmacological properties In pivotal international phase 3 trials subcutaneous azacitidine was an effective and well tolerated treatment in patients with higherrisk MDS or AML including older patients with AML with 30 BMB with extensive evidence from the realworld setting confirming its efficacy and safety in these patient populations Azacitidine is the only approved hypomethylating agent that has been shown to prolong overall survival compared with conventional care regimens and thus it is recommended as the firstline hypomethylating agent for most patients with higherrisk MDS Hence azacitidine remains and important agent for use in the treatment of higherrisk MDS and AML including in older patients with AML with 30 BMBThe manuscript was reviewed by A Iurlo Oncohematology Division IRCCS Ca´ GrandaMaggiore Polyclinic Hospital Foundation Milan Italy L Maurillo Department of Hematology Tor Vergata Foundation Polyclinic University of Tor Vergata Rome Italy J F Seymour Department of Haematology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Australia
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