Trial reportLeukemia2017
A phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial of darbepoetin alfa in patients with anemia and lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
Trial report in Leukemia, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01362140 (A Multicenter, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of Darbepoetin Alfa for the Treatment of Anaemic Subjects With Low or Intermediate-1 Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 67 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Multicenter, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of Darbepoetin Alfa for the Treatment of Anaemic Subjects With Low or Intermediate-1 Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
Who cites it
67 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 126 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes: a Systematic Review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Intravenous iron versus oral iron versus no iron with or without erythropoiesis- stimulating agents (ESA) for cancer patients with anaemia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Recombinant human erythropoietin plus all-Haematologica · 2026Trial
- Long-Term Transfusion Independence with Luspatercept Versus Epoetin Alfa in Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent-Naive, Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes in the COMMANDS Trial.Advances in therapy · 2025Trial
- A phase 2 clinical trial of luspatercept in non-transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.International journal of hematology · 2025Trial
- Eltrombopag for Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes With Thrombocytopenia: Interim Results of a Phase II, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial (EQOL-MDS).Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2023Trial
- Phase III, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of CC-486 (Oral Azacitidine) in Patients With Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2021Trial
- Lenalidomide-Epoetin Alfa Versus Lenalidomide Monotherapy in Myelodysplastic Syndromes Refractory to Recombinant Erythropoietin.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2021Trial
- Trial
- A phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled study assessing the efficacy and safety of epoetin-α in anemic patients with low-risk MDS.Leukemia · 2018Trial
- Darbepoetin alfa for the treatment of anemia in myelodysplastic syndromes: a post-marketing surveillance study in Japan.International journal of hematology · 2026Article
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes: 2026 Update on Diagnosis, Risk-Stratification and Management.American journal of hematology · 2026Review
- PANoptosis in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes.Molecular oncology · 2026Review
- A 2026 update on myelodysplastic neoplasms: current state, challenges and future directions.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2026Review
- The patient voice: measuring what matters in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes treated with imetelstat.Haematologica · 2026Article
- Navigating Anemia in Solid and Hematologic Malignancies: A Comprehensive Review of Classical and Emerging Therapies.European journal of haematology · 2026Review
- Impact of Transfusion Dependence on Clinical and Economic Burden in Patients with Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: A 28-Year Retrospective Study.Journal of blood medicine · 2026Article
- Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Advances in Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Neoplasms: A Clinical Review.Cancers · 2025Review
- Novel agents and evolving strategies for anemia management in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.Blood research · 2025Review
- Characteristics of Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Coagulation Abnormalities and Tailored Diagnosis and Treatment.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 8 institutions in 8 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The use of darbepoetin alfa to treat anemia in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) was evaluated in a phase 3 trial. Eligible patients had low/intermediate-1 risk MDS, hemoglobin ⩽10 g/dl, low transfusion burden and serum erythropoietin (EPO) ⩽500 mU/ml. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive 24 weeks of subcutaneous darbepoetin alfa 500 μg or placebo every 3 weeks (Q3W), followed by 48 weeks of open-label darbepoetin alfa. A total of 147 patients were randomized, with median hemoglobin of 9.3 (Q1:8.8, Q3:9.7) g/dl and median baseline serum EPO of 69 (Q1:36, Q3:158) mU/ml. Transfusion incidence from weeks 5-24 was significantly lower with darbepoetin alfa versus placebo (36.1% (35/97) versus 59.2% (29/49), P=0.008) and erythroid response rates increased significantly with darbepoetin alfa (14.7% (11/75 evaluable) versus 0% (0/35 evaluable), P=0.016). In the 48-week open-label period, dose frequency increased from Q3W to Q2W in 81% (102/126) of patients; this was associated with a higher hematologic improvement-erythroid response rate (34.7% (34/98)). Safety results were consistent with a previous darbepoetin alfa phase 2 MDS trial. In conclusion, 24 weeks of darbepoetin alfa Q3W significantly reduced transfusions and increased rates of erythroid response with no new safety signals in lower-risk MDS (registered as EudraCT#2009-016522-14 and NCT#01362140).
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.