ASH: Two studies suggest luspatercept reduces need for blood transfusions

In a Phase III clinical trial, presented at the 60th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, USA, on the opening day, December 1, the experimental drug luspatercept significantly reduced the need for blood transfusions in patients with the inherited blood disorder beta thalassemia.

More than 70% of patients who received luspatercept – which is under development by Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) and Acceleron Pharma (Nasdaq: XLRN) - were able to cut blood transfusions by at least one-third over any consecutive 12-week period, while just under 30 %of those who received a placebo were able to achieve the same result.

The results show those taking luspatercept were 5.8 times more likely to reach the primary endpoint (a 33% reduction in the number of units of blood needed during the study period) compared with those taking the placebo. By the final quarter of the trial, about 20% of patients overall had cut their number of transfusion units by one-third or more, and 10% of patients had cut their transfusion units by half or more.