Sickle Cell
Price of Hydroxyurea, medicine used in treatment of Sickle Cell in Ghana, reduced

In this video, Alexandra Power-Hays, MD, Cincinnati Children's, Cincinnati, OH, gives an overview of a session held at ASH 2023 which addressed the underuse of hydroxyurea in sickle cell disease (SCD). Dr Power-Hays explains that there are certain stigmas and biases associated with this agent which may impact its use in clinical practice. This interview took place at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in San Diego, CA.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

Hydroxurea is the only medication currently available in the US for any type of treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. Today's talk gives an overview of how it works, who can take it and what to expect.

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, discusses his recent publication reviewing the challenges and treatment options for patients with hydroxyurea-resistant polycythemia vera (PV). Dr Kuykendall highlights that, although hydroxyurea is still used in first-line PV treatment, a greater number of disease-modifying agents are becoming available which treat the disease in a distinct way, including interferon and JAK inhibitors. There is a need for clinicians to consider the unique situation of each patient in order to choose the best therapeutic option for the individual. This interview took place at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in San Diego, CA.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

In a case study of a 45-year old man with polycythemia vera is refractory to hydroxyurea, Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas describes how ruxolitinib is a viable treatment option.

Leon Tshilolo, MD, PhD, Centre Hospitalier Monkole, Kinshasa, DR Congo, discusses the use of hydroxyurea for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), highlighting the main limitations to the widespread implementation of this agent. This interview took place at the 19th Annual Scientific Conference of the Academy for Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (ASCAT 2024) in London, UK.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

Thomas D. Coates, MD, reviews the evidence associated with the use of hydroxyurea in children with sickle cell anemia who have had a previous stroke.

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, shares insights into the the ‘Polycythemia Vera: A Machine Learning Study’ (PV-AIM) study which used electronic medical records to predict study which used electronic medical records to predict resistance to treatment with hydroxyurea in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Prof. Verstovsek explains that two parameters - hemoglobin and red-cell distribution width (RDW) – can be used to effectively predict the outcomes of patients with PV treated with hydroxyurea. This interview took place at the 64th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition congress in New Orleans, LA.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

Enrico Novelli, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, discusses the findings of a study comparing the use of mobile directly observed therapy versus standard monitoring to improve adherence to hydroxyurea in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Remote monitoring required patients to send selfie videos of medication intake to healthcare providers, and although adherence was high in both the intervention and control groups during the study in Tanzania, Dr Novelli emphasized the potential value of this method for long-term monitoring due to the widespread availability of smartphones. This interview took place at the 19th Annual Scientific Conference of the Academy for Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (ASCAT 2024) in London, UK.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

Lucia Masarova, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, shares her recommendations for community physicians managing patients with polycythemia vera (PV), outlining the key considerations when selecting between the two main treatment options (oral hydroxyurea and interferon). Dr Masarova emphasizes the importance of patient preference and age when selecting a therapeutic strategy. Although oral hydroxyurea is a more convenient option, clinicians should consider interferon for eligible patients due to its ability to prolong event-free survival (EFS) and prevent progression and vascular events. This interview took place at the 1st Annual MPN Workshop of the Carolinas in Asheville, NC.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

Miguel Brito, PhD, Lisbon School of Health Technology, Lisbon, Portugal, discusses a pharmacogenetic study in Angolan children with sickle cell anemia which investigated whether there are genetic modifiers which affect the response of a patient to hydroxyurea treatment, and comments on how the findings may be used in future trials. This interview was recorded at the 18th Annual Scientific Conference on Sickle Cell and Thalassemia (ASCAT) 2023, held in London, UK.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

ASH FSS 2015
December 4, 2015
Presentation #5: Hydroxyurea and Pregnancy
Faculty: Kim Smith-Whitley, MD

Raphael Itzykson, MD, PhD, Saint-Louis Hospital AP-HP, Paris, France, outlines the results of the Phase III Dacota trial (EudraCT 2014-000200-10), investigating decitabine versus hydroxyurea for patients with advanced proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). The study found that decitabine did not provide an overall or event-free survival advantage over hydroxyurea. Additionally, Prof. Itzykson highlights that it is feasible to conduct randomized clinical trials in advanced proliferative CMML, which remains an unmet medical need This interview took place during the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, 2020.

Ruben Mesa, MD, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston Salem, NC, discusses considerations for community physicians when choosing between hydroxyurea and interferon therapy in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and comments on when it may be necessary to switch between these therapies. Although hydroxyurea is attractive in its affordability and simplicity of administration, growing evidence suggests that interferon-based therapy may delay disease progression, potentially making it a better choice for certain patients. This interview took place at the 1st Annual MPN Workshop of the Carolinas in Asheville, NC.

These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.

The role of hydroxyurea in treating sickle cell disease, and considerations for treating patients with HU.

Ruben Mesa, MD, describes the use of hydroxyurea and how to determine whether a patient with polycythemia vera is uncontrolled on or intolerant to hydroxyurea, as well as the options for patients at that point.