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Myeloid Leukemia
Imetelstat
Telomerase Inhibitor
Table of contents
**Updates**
We updated this drug summary on 21st of April 2025, updated heading and title by adding subheadings to improve readability.
What is imetelstat used for?
Imetelstat blocks the enzyme telomerase.
It treats myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.
Telomerase - An enzyme that helps protect and rebuild telomeres, keeping them from getting too short.
Myelodysplastic syndromes - Blood disorders where the body doesn't make enough healthy blood cells.
Acute myeloid leukemia - A type of blood cancer where bone marrow makes too many abnormal white blood cells.
What is the mechanism of action of imetelstat?
Telomeres - Protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that help keep them from wearing down.
Chromosomes - Long, organised DNA molecules that carry our genetic information in cells.
What are the contraindications of imetelstat?
Contraindication - A reason to avoid a medicine.
Side effects - Unwanted or negative things that can happen when we take medicine or get treatment.
Important imetelstat prescribing safety information.
Platelets - Small blood cells that help our body form clots to stop bleeding. Thrombocytopenia is when our body doesn't have enough these platelets.
Anti-drug antibodies - Proteins our body makes that can stop some medicines from working well.
Imetelstat patient counselling advice.
Good self-care - In this instance meaning maintaining good hydration, eating a balanced diet, and getting adequate rest to help manage side effects .
References
References
1. Bruedigam, C., Porter, A.H., Song, A., Vroeg in de Wei, G., Stoll, T., Straube, J., Cooper, L., Cheng, G., Kahl, V.F.S., Sobinoff, A.P., Ling, V.Y., Jebaraj, B.M.C., Janardhanan, Y., Haldar, R., Bray, L.J., Bullinger, L., Heidel, F.H., Kennedy, G.A., Hill, M.M. and Pickett, H.A. (2023). Imetelstat-mediated alterations in fatty acid metabolism to induce ferroptosis as a therapeutic strategy for acute myeloid leukemia. Nature Cancer, [online] pp.1–19. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-023-00653-5. Link
2. González‐Sales, M., Lennox, A.L., Huang, F., Pamulapati, C., Wan, Y., Sun, L., Berry, T., Kelly Behrs, M., Feller, F. and Morcos, P.N. (2024). Population pharmacokinetics of imetelstat, a first‐in‐class oligonucleotide telomerase inhibitor. CPT Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology, 13(7), pp.1264–1277. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/psp4.13160. Link
3. Uwe Platzbecker, Santini, V., Fenaux, P., Sekeres, M.A., Savona, M.R., Madanat, Y.F., María Díez-Campelo, Valcárcel, D., Illmer, T., Jonášová, A., Bělohlávková, P., Sherman, L., Berry, T., Dougherty, S., Shah, S., Xia, Q., Sun, L., Wan, Y., Huang, F. and Annat Ikin (2023). Imetelstat in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who have relapsed or are refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (IMerge): a multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01724-5. Link
4. Ziedan, M., Salah, D. and Ayman, M. (2023). Therapeutic Impact of Telomerase Inhibitor Imetelstat: a Literature Review. International Journal of Advanced Health Science and Technology, 3(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.35882/ijahst.v3i2.238. Link