Why was VIDAZA prescribed?
VIDAZA is the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of all FAB subtypes of MDS. Your doctor may have prescribed VIDAZA to help reduce your need for RBC transfusions. Your doctor may prescribe VIDAZA for as long as you continue to benefit from it and side effects don’t require that you stop treatment. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations about continuing your treatment plan.
When you have MDS, your bone marrow usually makes fewer healthy blood cells. The blood cells it does make don't always work as they should.
There are different ways of classifying MDS. One system (French-American-British or FAB) divides MDS into 5 groups called subtypes. VIDAZA is used to treat patients with all 5 FAB subtypes. Your doctor can explain which subtype of MDS you have.
The 5 FAB MDS subtypes that VIDAZA treats are:
- RA, refractory anemia, or RARS, refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts—With
RA or RARS, you have less than 5% blasts or immature cells in the bone marrow and
at least 1 cytopenia (abnormally low blood cell count [usually RBCs]). About 40%
of patients with MDS have RA or RARS
- RAEB, refractory anemia with excess blasts—With RAEB, you have 5% to 20% blasts
in the bone marrow and at least 2 cytopenias (low counts of at least 2 types of
blood cells [for example, RBCs and platelets]). About 30% of patients with MDS have
RAEB
- RAEB-T, refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation—With RAEB-T, you
have between 21% and 30% blasts in the bone marrow and at least 2 cytopenias. This
form of MDS may turn into a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow called acute
myeloid leukemia (AML). About 20% of patients with MDS have RAEB-T
- CMMoL, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia—With CMMoL, you have between 5% and 20% blasts
in the bone marrow and an increased number of monocytes, a type of WBC. About 10%
of patients with MDS have CMMoL
Another system (International Prognostic Scoring System or IPSS) uses cell type and blood counts of patients with MDS to predict the course of their disease. This system separates patients into lower-risk and higher-risk categories. This helps doctors determine a treatment plan for each patient.
Please see Important Safety Information and full Prescribing Information.