EHA 2024: Patient Outcomes from Oral Azacitidine Maintenance Therapy

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients whose disease progressed into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent up to 34% of AML cases. This patient group is often referred to as AML with myelodysplasia-related changes or AML-MRC. 

Patients with AML-MRC generally have poor outcomes. AML specialist Maria Teresa Voso, M.D. from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, shared insight with HealthTree at the EHA 2024 conference about AML-MRC patients’ experiences taking oral azacitidine as a maintenance therapy. Watch her interview or read the summary below.

What is Oral Azacitidine? 

Oral azacitidine (Onureg, BMS) is a chemotherapy given in the form of a pill. It is an FDA-approved treatment for AML patients to take as maintenance therapy if they achieve a full reduction of AML signs and symptoms (complete remission) after their intensive induction chemotherapy and are not eligible for a stem cell transplant. 

How Effective is Oral Azacitidine as a Maintenance Therapy for AML-MRC Patients? 

Data from the QUAZAR AML-001 study evaluated how well oral azacitidine worked as maintenance therapy compared to placebo for AML-MRC patients:

• The average amount of time AML-MRC patients were alive while on therapy improved slightly if they took oral azacitidine (19.9 months) compared to the placebo group (14.8 months). 
• AML-MRC patients who took oral azacitidine had a longer time in remission of 7.5 months, compared to the placebo group's 3.7 months.  

In conclusion, the QUAZAR AML-001 study showed that AML-MRC patients who take oral azacitidine as their maintenance treatment following intensive chemotherapy have some improved benefits for time in remission and overall survival. 

If you are an AML-MRC patient who is unable to qualify for a stem cell transplant, talk to your doctor about whether oral azacitidine maintenance therapy is right for you. If you need help finding an AML specialist, visit HealthTree’s AML specialist directory by clicking here. 

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Sources: 

• A POST HOC ANALYSIS OF OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA WITH MYELODYSPLASIA-RELATED CHANGES WHO RECEIVED ORAL AZACITIDINE MAINTENANCE THERAPY IN THE QUAZAR AML-001 STUDY
• Onureg