The Immune Thrombocytopenia Treatment Landscape: A Focus on Patient Perspectives and Unmet Clinical Needs

Abstract

The limitations of currently available therapies for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) mean that long-term responses are difficult to maintain, and patients face a substantial quality of life (QoL) burden imposed by both the disease and its treatment. During this Sanofi industry-supported symposium, leading experts in haematology discussed the significant unmet needs that exist in ITP, and highlighted the importance of new treatment approaches on the horizon with the potential to deliver improved clinical outcomes for patients. Waleed Ghanima, Consultant Hematologist at Østfold Hospital and Professor at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway, reviewed the key clinical considerations when choosing treatment for ITP and risk factors associated with established therapies. Cindy Neunert, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Section Head of Pediatric Hematology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Manhattan, New York, USA, explored patient preferences and goals of therapy in ITP, moving beyond platelet count to address important concerns such as fatigue and cognition. David J. Kuter, Chief of Hematology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, highlighted the promise of emerging therapies on the horizon for ITP that address multiple mechanisms of disease pathology and may help to fill existing treatment gaps.