Select (+) to find answers for some of the most commonly asked questions about the REBLOZYL experience
Is REBLOZYL right for me?
When choosing a medicine to help manage your MDS-related anemia, it’s important to be honest with your healthcare team. If you’re considering treatment, ask your healthcare team what’s possible when starting with REBLOZYL. Remember, you and your caregivers are your best advocates.
To help you remember topics to share with your healthcare team, have answers to questions 1-4 before your next visit and use questions 5-7 during your visit.
- My current and past anemia treatments, including red blood cell transfusions (if applicable):
-
My current treatment goal(s):
Examples of treatment goals could be to become transfusion independent or to raise hemoglobin levels. - Anemia impacts these parts of my daily life:
-
Symptoms I am currently experiencing:
- Problems with memory or thinking
- Pale or yellowish skin
- Lightheadedness
- Chills
- Feeling tired
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Muscle cramps and/or bone pains
- Could REBLOZYL be right for me? How is it different from other treatments?
- How might REBLOZYL help me achieve my treatment goals?
- What should I expect while on REBLOZYL? What are possible side effects?
REBLOZYL is for adults with very low- to intermediate-risk of myelodysplastic (MDS)
who may need regular red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and who have never received an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA).
AND
REBLOZYL is also for adults with MDS-RS or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T) who need RBC transfusions and have not responded well to or cannot receive an ESA.
REBLOZYL is used to treat anemia in adults with very low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who may require regular red blood cell (RBC) transfusions.
For adult patients with anemia in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts
(MDS-RS), or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts
and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T), who need regular red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and have not responded well to
or cannot receive another type of medicine called an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), REBLOZYL is an injection that
may help lower the number of transfusions needed.
Learn more about how REBLOZYL has helped people with MDS-related anemia
REBLOZYL is NOT a form of chemotherapy. It is a treatment that helps manage the anemia that is associated with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS), and lower-risk myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T).
REBLOZYL is called an erythroid maturation agent (EMA). EMAs help immature red blood cells (RBCs) (called erythroid cells) develop and become mature, working RBCs.
Yes. REBLOZYL may be used in patients whether they have tried other medicines for MDS-related anemia
or not.
For adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts
(MDS-RS) or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts
and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T), REBLOZYL can help manage anemia and may help reduce the number
of transfusions you may need over time.
REBLOZYL has a well-studied safety profile. It is important to know the side effects of any medicine you are taking. Be sure to talk with your healthcare team about REBLOZYL side effects. Keep in mind, side effects can vary from person to person, so it’s important to understand what to expect during REBLOZYL treatment.
Learn more about how REBLOZYL has helped people with MDS-related anemia
Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to helping patients gain access to their prescribed BMS medications. BMS Access Support® can provide patient access and reimbursement assistance. BMS Access Support® provides resources to help patients understand their insurance coverage.
Talk with your doctor before starting REBLOZYL about any other medicines you may be taking. They will help determine whether it’s safe for you to start treatment with REBLOZYL.
REBLOZYL is an injection that could help lower the number of transfusions needed. REBLOZYL is not a substitute for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in people who need immediate treatment for anemia.
It is not known if REBLOZYL is safe or effective in children under 18 years of age.
What should I know and expect when taking REBLOZYL?
REBLOZYL is an injection given under your skin once every 3 weeks by your healthcare team at their office.
- Given in your upper arm, thigh, or stomach
- Needles used for injections that go under your skin are smaller than those used for injections that go into your muscle, such as those used for most vaccines
REBLOZYL is an injection given under your skin by your healthcare team at their office. You will receive a REBLOZYL injection once every 3 weeks in your doctor’s office. You can receive REBLOZYL for as long as your doctor finds it is working for you and for as long as you are able to handle any side effects that may occur.
REBLOZYL has a well-known safety profile. It is important to know the side effects of any medicine you are taking. The most common side effects of REBLOZYL include:
- Tiredness
- Headache
- Back, joint, muscle, or bone pain
- Joint pain
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Cough
- Stomach (abdominal) pain
- Trouble breathing
- Swelling of your hands, legs, or feet
- High blood pressure
- Allergic reactions
These are not all of the possible side effects.
Responses to REBLOZYL will vary from person to person. You and your healthcare team will track your response to treatment. While receiving REBLOZYL, you and your doctor will work together to reduce the number of transfusions.
People receiving REBLOZYL start on 1 milligram (mg)/kilogram (kg), once every 3 weeks. Your dose
may go up. Some people need 1.33 mg/kg or 1.75 mg/kg, once every 3
weeks. You and your doctor can work together to see what REBLOZYL dose works for you.
If your scheduled REBLOZYL dose is delayed or missed, call your healthcare team as soon as possible to reschedule your next appointment. Your doctor will give your dose of REBLOZYL as soon as possible.
You will receive a REBLOZYL injection once every 3 weeks in your doctor’s office. If your scheduled REBLOZYL dose is delayed or missed, call your healthcare team as soon as possible to reschedule your next appointment.
Before each REBLOZYL injection, your doctor will do a blood test in their office to check your Hgb levels.
People receiving REBLOZYL start on 1 milligram (mg)/kilogram (kg), once every 3 weeks. Your dose may go up. Some people need 1.33 mg/kg or 1.75 mg/kg, once every 3 weeks. You and your doctor can work together to see what REBLOZYL dose works for you.
MDS Glossary
Below is a list of terms you might encounter regarding your MDS-related anemia and treatments:
Anemia: Low red blood cell (RBC) count
Blood cells: Blood cells begin as stem cells in the bone marrow. Stem cells grow and mature into different types of cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. After the cells have matured in the bone marrow, the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets enter the bloodstream
Blood pressure: The force of circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels
Bone marrow: The soft interior of the bones where new blood cells are created
Chemotherapy: A type of treatment that kills or stops the growth of abnormal cells in the body. It is often used to treat cancer
Cytopenia: Lower than normal number of blood cells
DNA: The information inside your cells that is responsible for how you look and behave
Erythroid cells: An immature red blood cell
Erythroid maturation agent (EMA): Treatment that helps red blood cells to mature
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA): A manufactured erythropoietin given to people to help with anemia
Erythropoietin: A natural growth hormone produced by the kidneys that tells the body to make more immature red blood cells
First-line treatment: The first treatment given for a disease
Hemoglobin (Hgb): Oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells
Hormone: A chemical made by your body that travels in the bloodstream to send messages throughout your body
Immunomodulator: A type of medicine that changes part of the immune system
Immunosuppressive therapy: A type of treatment that decreases the body’s immune response
Immunotherapy: A type of treatment that modifies your immune system to help the body fight cancer
Kilogram (kg): A unit for measuring your weight. One kg is 2.2 pounds
Median: The middle number in a set of numbers
Milligram (mg): A unit for measuring weight
mg/kg: The dose of your medication based on your body weight
Mutation: An abnormal change within a gene
MDS/MPN-RS-T: Abbreviation for myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis. It is a rare form of MDS in which there are a high number of platelets in the blood and the immature red blood cells contain ring sideroblasts
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): MDS is a group of disorders in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells
Myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS): A type of MDS where a certain number of immature red blood cells in your bone marrow are ring sideroblasts
Neutropenia: Lower than normal amount of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell
Placebo: An inactive substance that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested
Platelets: A type of blood cell that helps with clotting
Red blood cells (RBCs): Blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body
Red blood cell transfusion: A process that adds red blood cells into the bloodstream
Ring sideroblasts (RS): Cells containing rings of iron deposits
Risk score: Your risk score is a score given by your healthcare team. Your risk score helps them understand the chances of your MDS progressing to a more serious condition. Risk score can range from “very low” to “very high”
Second-line treatment: A treatment that is given when an initial treatment (first-line) doesn’t work or stops working.
Serum: The clear liquid part of the blood that remains after blood cells and clotting proteins have been removed
SF3B1: Splicing Factor 3B Subunit 1 (SF3B1) is a gene that can have mutations as part of your MDS. This mutation can be tested for as a part of your MDS diagnosis
Stem cell: All immature cells before they mature and develop a specific role
Stem cell transplant: A type of treatment that replaces your abnormal cells with healthy stem cells from a donor
Symptom: A physical or mental sign of a condition or disease
Thrombocytopenia: Lower than normal number of platelets in the blood
Transfusion: A procedure that adds parts of blood or whole blood into the bloodstream
Transfusion burden: How often you need to have red blood cell (RBC) transfusions
White blood cells (WBCs): Blood cells that help the body fight infection as part of the body’s immune system