Yes, it is the HMA (hypomethylating agent) Dacogen (decitabine) in a pill form with an inhibitor cedazuridine. The cedazurine keeps the Dacogen from being broken down too early. This was previously known as ASTX727 in the clinical trails. My husband has been taking it in the clinical trial and started his 17th cycle today. We didn’t see much improvement until the 7th cycle, but since that time he has not needed another blood transfusion. Yeah! However, he still has blasts and the mutations and dysplasia in his blood and bone marrow, so they don’t consider him in remission. He takes all of the pills at home and goes into the clinic for labs routinely. The first cycle sent him to the hospital with febrile neutropenia.
You have to be really patient with HMAs (Dacogen and Vidaza) as they often take awhile to work.
Here is a link and a quote: “The ASCERTAIN phase 3 study data confirms the hypothesis that by inhibiting cytidine deaminase in the gut, systemic therapeutic concentrations of decitabine can be delivered orally to achieve decitabine systemic exposure equivalent to IV dosing,” said Dr Garcia-Manero. “The data support that ASTX727 could become an oral hypomethylating agent alternative to IV decitabine.”
Astex Pharmaceuticals presents topline data from the ASCERTAIN phase 3 study of its novel, oral hypomethylating agent cedazuridine and decitabine (ASTX727) in MDS and CMML at the American Society of Hematology Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Hope that helps! Amy
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