Bristol Myers Squibb and Acceleron Pharma have received Health Canada’s approval for Reblozyl (luspatercept) for treating adults with a specific type of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

MDS are cancers that hinder the bone marrow’s ability to produce healthy red blood cells, usually occurring in older individuals, especially men.

The approval was supported by positive phase 3 trial results for patients with MDS requiring regular blood transfusions. The trial found that 38 percent of patients receiving Reblozyl achieved transfusion independence for eight weeks or more at week 24 vs. only 13 percent in the placebo arm.