Background Acquired aplastic anemia results from immune-mediated destruction of bone marrow. Immunosuppressive therapies are effective, but reduced numbers of residual stem cells may limit their efficacy. In patients with aplastic anemia that was refractory to immunosuppression, eltrombopag, a synthetic thrombopoietin-receptor agonist, led to clinically significant increases in blood counts in almost half the patients. We combined standard immunosuppressive therapy with eltrombopag in previously untreated patients with severe aplastic anemia. Methods We enrolled 92 consecutive patients in a prospective phase 1–2 study of immunosuppressive therapy plus eltrombopag. The three consecutively enrolled cohorts differed with regard to the timing of initiation and the duration of the eltrombopag regimen (cohort 1 received eltrombopag from day 14 to 6 months, cohort 2 from day 14 to 3 months, and cohort 3 from day 1 to 6 months). The cohorts were analyzed separately. The primary outcome was complete hematologic response at 6 months. Secondary end points included overall response, survival, relapse, and clonal evolution to myeloid cancer. Results The rate of complete response at 6 months was 33% in cohort 1, 26% in cohort 2, and 58% in cohort 3. The overall response rates at 6 months were 80%, 87%, and 94%, respectively. The complete and overall response rates in the combined cohorts were higher than in our historical cohort, in which the rate of complete response was 10% and the overall response rate was 66%. At a median follow-up of 2 years, the survival rate was 97%; one patient died during the study from a nonhematologic cause. Marked increases in bone marrow cellularity, CD34+ cell number, and frequency of early hematopoietic progenitors were noted. Rates of relapse and clonal evolution were similar to our historical experience. Severe rashes occurred in two patients, resulting in the early discontinuation of eltrombopag. Conclusions The addition of eltrombopag to immunosuppressive therapy was associated with markedly higher rates of hematologic response among patients with severe aplastic anemia than in a historical cohort. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01623167.)

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Key Points Eltrombopag promotes hematopoiesis in patients with severe aplastic anemia by stimulating stem and progenitor cells. Eltrombopag can be discontinued safely in robust responders with maintenance of hematopoiesis.

Goals of Work-Despite advances in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), post-transplant complications are common and patients' symptom experience has not been well documented.Purpose-To characterize the symptom experience of adult patients pre-transplantation and days 0, 30 and 100 after allogeneic HSCT.Methods-Data from 76 participants enrolled in a prospective Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) study were used. Symptom occurrence, distress, and clusters were determined based on the 11 symptoms of the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS).Results-Participants were on average 40 years old (SD ± 13.5). The majority (54%) received reduced intensity conditioning. Prevalent symptoms included fatigue (68%) and worry (68%) at baseline; appetite change (88%) at day 0; and fatigue at days 30 (90%) and 100 (81%). Participants reported the following symptoms as severely distressing: worry (16%) [baseline], insomnia (32%) [Day 0], appetite change (22%) [Day 30] and fatigue (11%) [Day 100]. The total SDS score was highest at day 0 (M = 26.6 ± 7.6) when the highest number of symptoms were reported [Mdn = 8 (1 -11)]. Symptoms formed clusters comprised of fatigue, appearance change, and worry at baseline, and fatigue, insomnia and bowel changes at days 0 and 30. Compared to those with low symptom distress, participants with moderate/severe symptom distress reported poorer HRQL. Conclusion-AllogeneicHSCT patients present for transplantation with low symptom distress yet experience multiple symptoms and high symptom distress after HSCT conditioning. Understanding the symptom experience of allogeneic HSCT patients can guide management strategies and improve HRQL.