U.S. FDA Approves Bristol Myers Squibb’s Reblozyl® (luspatercept-aamt) as First-Line Treatment of Anemia in Adults with Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Who May Require Transfusions
COMMANDS (NCT03682536) is a Phase 3, open-label, randomized study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Reblozyl versus epoetin alfa for the treatment of anemia due to very low-, low- or intermediate-risk (IPSS-R) myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in patients who are red blood cell (RBC) transfusion dependent and were erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA)-naïve.
The primary endpoint evaluated in this study is RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) for 12 weeks with a mean hemoglobin (Hb) increase ≥1.5 g/dL. Key secondary endpoints include erythroid response (HI-E) of at least 8 weeks during weeks 1-24 of the study, RBC-TI ≥12 weeks and RBC-TI for 24 weeks. Eligible patients were ≥18 years old with lower-risk MDS who require transfusions. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive subcutaneous Reblozyl (starting dose 1.0 mg/kg, titration up to 1.75 mg/kg) once every 3 weeks or epoetin alfa (starting dose 450 IU/kg, titration up to 1050 IU/kg) weekly for ≥24 weeks. The majority of study participants (>90%) were outside of the United States and a non-U.S.-licensed epoetin alfa product was used in the control arm for such patients.
At the time of the planned interim analysis (October 31, 2022), 147 evaluable patients received Reblozyl and 154 evaluable patients received epoetin alfa, with median treatment durations of 41.6 and 27 weeks, respectively. Results published in The Lancetshowed:
58.5% (n=86) of patients receiving Reblozyl vs. 31.2% (n=48) of patients receiving epoetin alfa achieved the primary endpoint of RBC-TI of at least 12 weeks with concurrent mean Hb increase of at least 1.5 g/dL within the first 24 weeks (p<0.0001).
HI-E increase of at least 8 weeks was achieved by 74.1% (n=109) of Reblozyl patients vs. 51.3% (n=79) of epoetin alfa patients (p<0.0001).
Within the first 24 weeks of treatment, RBC-TI of at least 24 weeks was achieved by 47.6% (n=70) of Reblozyl patients vs. 29.2% (n=45) of epoetin alfa patients (p=0.0012).
RBC-TI of at least 12 weeks was achieved by 66.7% (n=98) of Reblozyl patients vs. 46.1% (n=71) of epoetin alfa patients (p=0.0003).
Patients treated with Reblozyl demonstrated durable responses with nearly 2.5 years of median RBC-TI ≥12 weeks (126.6 weeks, week 1 to end of treatment). The most common (>10%) adverse reactions were diarrhea, fatigue, hypertension, peripheral edema, nausea, and dyspnea.