Top updates in MDS from ASH 2025: key trial updates and debated topics

This podcast features updates in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) from ASH 2025. Talha Munir, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, discusses the Phase III FLAIR study (ISRCTN01844152), followed by Matthew Davids, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, who shares further insights. Carsten Niemann, MD, PhD, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, shares long-term follow-up results from the GAIA/CLL13 (NCT02950051) trial. Paolo Ghia, MD, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, shares insights into the Phase III ​BELLWAVE-010 study (NCT05947851), followed by Jennifer Woyach, MD, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, who discusses Phase I results (NCT04775745) of a novel BTK inhibitor rocbrutinib. Finally, Chan Cheah, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DMSc, Linear Clinical Research and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia, discusses the CaDAnCe-104 trial (NCT06634589) of the BTK degrader BGB-16673, and Barbara Eichhorst, MD, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, shares two-year follow-up results from the EPCORE CLL-1 trial (NCT04623541) of epcoritamab monotherapy in Richter’s transformation.

In this podcast episode, leading experts share key updates in the management of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) from ASH 2025. Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, highlights data from the MAXILUS trial (NCT06045689), new insights from the IMerge study (NCT02598661), and early findings with bexmarilimab in higher-risk MDS (HR-MDS). This is followed by Valeria Santini, MD, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, who discusses long-term outcomes from IMerge and a post-hoc analysis of the COMMANDS trial (NCT03682536). Jacqueline Garcia, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, provides perspective on the Phase III VERONA trial (NCT04401748) of azacitidine plus venetoclax in HR-MDS, and Daniel Wiseman, MBChB, PhD, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, presents results from the Phase II AMMO study (ISRCTN30808508) in MDS-myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) overlap syndromes. Finally, Prof. Santini returns to address current debates and controversial topics in the diagnosis and treatment of MDS.

In this podcast episode, leading experts provide valuable insight into the management of sickle cell disease (SCD). First, Samah Babiker, MBBS, MRCP-UK, FRCPath, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, London, UK, and Payal Desai, MD, Levine Cancer Institute & Wake Forest School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC, discuss the challenges associated with the transition from pediatric to adult care and how to support patients through this period. Following this, Enrico Novelli, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, shares insight into the management of vaso-occlusive crises, and Subarna Chakravorty, MBBS, FRCPath, MRCPCH, PhD, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, comments on whether MRI brain assessment should be routinely performed in all patients with SCD.

This episode of the VJHemOnc podcast focuses on accelerated and blast-phase myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN-AP/BP), offering insights into their diagnosis and management from leading experts. First, in an interview with Anand Patel, MD, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, you will hear about the diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic strategies being explored for patients with MPN-AP/BP. Dr Patel will also comment on the role and timing of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) in this patient population. Following this, experts Adam Mead, MA, BM, BCh, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, Charlotte Brierley, MA, BM BCh, MRCP, DPhil, FRCPath, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, and Juan Carlos Hernández-Boluda, MD, PhD, Hospital Clinic of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, will discuss the challenges of managing MPN-AP/BP, highlighting the need for biomarkers to identify patients at risk of aggressive disease progression. 

This podcast features experts Mark Levis, MD, PhD, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, Sanam Loghavi, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Eunice Wang, MD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, who debate the value and utility of measurable residual disease (MRD) in the management of adults with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The discussion explores current limitations of MRD assays, the challenges of standardization, and the importance of integrating multiple modalities. This took place at the 7th International Workshop on Acute Leukemias (iwAL 2025), held in Washington, DC.

This episode of the VJHemOnc Podcast features discussions from the 2nd International Workshop on High-Risk Multiple Myeloma (iwHRMM 2025), held in Charleston, SC. First, you will hear from Ross Firestone, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, Nisha Joseph, MD, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and Ajai Chari, MD, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, who provide insight into immuno- and targeted therapies in HRMM. This is followed by Peter Voorhees, MD, Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC, and Holly Lee, MD, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada, who discuss resistance to these therapies, highlighting the mechanisms of resistance and potential strategies to overcome them.

This podcast features discussions from the 22nd International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL), which took place in Cambridge, MA. The discussions focus on immunotherapy and novel combinations being explored for the treatment of NHL. Featuring experts Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, Lorenzo Falchi, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, and Sameh Gaballa, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, who share insights into bispecific antibodies and other immunotherapeutics in early lines of treatment. This is followed by Laurie Sehn, MD, MPH, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada, Juan Alderuccio, MD, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, and Gilles Salles, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, who delve deeper into antibody-based combinations.

In this episode of the VJHemOnc Podcast, we are joined by Shai Shimony, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Richard Stone, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, to discuss recent guideline updates on the risk stratification and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The experts discuss differences in the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus Classification (ICC) definitions, the recent European Leukemia Network (ELN) updates to risk stratification, incorporating measurable residual disease (MRD) into therapeutic decision-making, and biomarkers or stratification approaches on the horizon.

VJHemOnc recently attended the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (XXI iwCLL 2025) in Krakow, Poland, where there was a session focused on the management of CLL in resource-limited settings. Today's podcast episode highlights discussions from this session. First, you will hear from Mazyar Shadman, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, who discusses the development of resource-restricted recommendations for CLL. This is followed by Anna Schuh, MD, PhD, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, Andrielle Yost, MPA, The Max Foundation, Seattle, WA, and Catherina Scheepers, The Max Foundation, Gauteng, South Africa, who share ongoing projects by iwCLL and The Max Foundation to improve access to treatment and patient outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Finally, Brian Koffman, MDCM (retired), CLL Society, Inc., Chula Vista, CA, discusses the six principles for excellence that healthcare professionals and patient advocacy organizations should be aware of when caring for patients with CLL. 

This episode of our Blood Cancer Awareness Month series explores the role of the multi-disciplinary team in caring for patients with blood cancer undergoing CAR T-cell therapy. The discussion features insights from Ty Simpson, BN, MNP, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia, who is a CAR-T nurse practitioner, and Frederick Vonberg, MD, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, who is a neurologist with a primary research interest in the neurotoxic effects of CAR T-cell therapy. This is followed by Angela Halley, MBBS, BSc, MSc, FRCP, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK, who is a consultant in palliative medicine with an interest in developing early integrated palliative care in hematology, including patients undergoing CAR-T treatment and stem cell transplant.