MDS Drugs and Treatments
More drugs and treatments are available to treat bone marrow failure disease than ever before. Researchers constantly look for ways to enhance drugs already on the market and develop new ones with fewer side effects. Some drugs treat only one type of the disease, while others may be used to treat more than one type. Check with your doctor to find out which drugs are right for you and why.
Daunorubicin
Daunorubicin is in a class of medications called anthracyclines. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body. It is used in combination with other chemotherapy drugs to treat a certain type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Decitabine
Brand name: Dacogen
A demethylating agent, this drug interacts with DNA to restore normal growth of blood cells in the bone marrow.
Decitabine and Cedazuridine
Brand name: INQOVI
INQOVI® is a prescribed oral tablet combination of decitabine and cedazuridine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).
Deferasirox
Brand name: Exjade, Jadenu
An iron chelator, this drug is used to remove excess iron from the body.
Deferiprone
Brand name: Ferriprox
Deferiprone is in a class of medications called iron chelators. It works by attaching to iron in the body so that it can be excreted (removed from the body).
Deferoxamine
Brand name: Desferal
Deferoxamine is an iron-binding agent that belongs to a class of drugs known as heavy metal antagonists. It works by helping the kidneys and gallbladder get rid of the extra iron.
Enoxaparin
Brand name: Lovenox
Enoxaparin is in a class of medications called low molecular weight heparins. It works by stopping the formation of substances that cause clots. It is also used in combination with warfarin to treat blood clots in the leg.
Filgrastim
Brand name: G-CSF, Neupogen
A man-made version of a naturally occurring substance in the body that promotes white blood cell growth in the bone marrow.
Fludarabine
Brand name: Fludara
An antineoplastic agent, this medicine works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Growth Factors
Growth factors are naturally occurring hormones in your body that signal your bone marrow to make more of certain types of blood cells. Man-made growth factors may be given to some people with bone marrow failure diseases to help increase red blood cell, white blood cell or platelet counts.