Welcome to the MDS 2021 Interactive Programme
The congress will officially run on Eastern Daylight Time Zone EDT (Toronto time zone, UTC-4)
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Please note that all sessions will run at their scheduled time and be followed by a LIVE Q&A at the end
The viewing of sessions cannot be accessed from this congress calendar. All sessions are accessible via the Virtual Platform
Session Description:
This virtual live activity focuses on integrating standards of care through case-based learning guided by expert faculty as they take a look at the 2021 landscape including the current and emerging therapeutic options in MDS.
This activity is provided by MediCom Worldwide Supported by an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Astex Pharmaceuticals.
Session Description:
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of complex diseases characterized by a dysfunctional immune system and leukemic stem cell proliferation. Patients with higher-risk MDS have a greater likelihood of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia, and many are not candidates for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, the only potentially curative therapy. For these patients, treatment options are limited to hypomethylating agents (HMAs), which are associated with low complete remission rates and limited durability of therapeutic response. Thus, new therapies that provide improved and durable outcomes with a favorable safety and tolerability profile are urgently needed. This symposium will review immunomodulation as a therapeutic approach in higher-risk MDS. Prof. Shahram Kordasti will discuss the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of MDS and the potential of immunotherapy for treating patients with higher-risk MDS. Dr. Karen Yee will discuss immune-based therapies currently in development and review recent data for novel agents, including immuno-myeloid therapy targeting TIM-3, CD47 and IRAK4 inhibitors, other antibody-based agents, and cell therapy.
Session Description:
This BMS-sponsored symposium will explore the current and future management of lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) in clinical practice from the perspectives of leading experts, and will be chaired by Dr. Brian Leber. After an overview of current treatment goals and guidelines in LR-MDS, Prof. Sophie Park will discuss the benefits and limitations of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), including criteria for defining unsatisfactory treatment response and ESA failure. Next, Dr. Bart Scott will discuss when to consider switching patients from ESAs to alternative treatments, with an overview of key data from the latest clinical trials in LR-MDS. Before closing the symposium, the experts will host a live interactive Q&A session.