Uwe Platzbecker

Led MEDALIST and COMMANDS, which made luspatercept a first-line treatment for anaemia in lower-risk MDS.

Uwe Platzbecker (Leipzig) was a principal investigator of MEDALIST and led COMMANDS, the trials establishing luspatercept for transfusion-dependent anaemia in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, first after and then instead of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. He coordinates the German MDS Study Group and the European MDS registry and has led trials of hypomethylating agent combinations in higher-risk disease.

Role

Director, Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy and Hemostaseology, University Hospital Leipzig

Specialisms

Myelodysplastic syndromesAnaemia therapeuticsAcute myeloid leukaemiaCooperative-group trials

Profiles

PubMed

Papers

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Title	Journal	Year
Efficacy and safety of luspatercept versus epoetin alfa in erythropoiesis-stimulating agent-naive, transfusion-dependent, lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (COMMANDS)	Lancet	2023
Luspatercept in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MEDALIST)	NEJM	2020

Key papers

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rctThe Lancet 2023changed practice

COMMANDS: luspatercept versus epoetin alfa as first treatment for anaemia in lower-risk MDS needing transfusions

COMMANDS moved luspatercept from second line (after ESA failure, MEDALIST trial) to first line, offering transfusion-dependent lower-risk MDS patients a better chance of transfusion freedom from the start. It changed guidelines and labels in 2023. Erythropoietin remains a reasonable and cheaper option for patients without ring sideroblasts or with low transfusion burden.