Autoimmune Cytopenias

At the ISTH 2021 Congress, held virtually from July 17–21, a team from the US and Canada presented a post-hoc analysis evaluating the time course of response (defined as achieving a platelet count ≥ 50,000/µL) and adverse effects associated with the Syk inhibitor fostamatinib at 100–150 mg BID over 1 year in 58 patients with ITP (abstract PB0815). Fostamatinib is an oral agent approved for ITP that has been shown in phase 3 clinical trials to significantly reduce bleeding risk and improve platelet counts in this population. The investigators reported that patients treated with fostamatinib for at least 1 year had a response rate of 91%, with 71% responding within 12 weeks. Median platelet counts increased in each 3-month period during the first year of treatment, while the incidence of bleeding events and use of rescue therapy decreased continually during this period.