National Comprehensive Cancer Network

About NCCN

NCCN Announces Important Updates to Myelodysplastic Syndromes Guidelines

JENKINTOWN, Pa., February 23, 2006 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announces updates to the NCCN Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Guidelines. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ are widely recognized and applied as the standard for clinical policy in oncology in both the community practice setting and in academic cancer centers. These guidelines are used extensively by managed care companies and by Medicare as the basis for coverage policies. These guidelines are updated continually and are based upon evaluation of scientific data integrated with expert judgment.

The MDS panel provided two recent updates to the MDS guidelines after reviewing the literature supporting new agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of MDS. The guidelines updated to a 2.2006 version with the incorporation of deferasirox. This agent was granted accelerated approval by the FDA for the treatment of chronic iron overload. The MDS panel strongly recommends the consideration of deferasirox as an iron chelating agent for patients who have received greater than 20-30 red blood cell transfusions. The guidelines updated to a 3.2006 version with the review and inclusion of lenalidomide. This agent was granted restricted distribution for transfusion-dependent anemia due to low or intermediate MDS associated with deletion 5q cytogenetic abnormalities. The MDS panel recommends lenalidomide for the treatment of patients with clinically significant cytopenias and a deletion 5q abnormality.

“NCCN Guidelines highlight the cutting-edge developments in treatment and are an essential tool for physicians, allied health professionals, patients and public and private payors,” said William T. McGivney, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the NCCN.

For a detailed listing of all updates to the NCCN Guidelines, please go to www.nccn.org.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 23 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.

The NCCN Member Institutions are:

• City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
  Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
• Duke Cancer Institute
• Fox Chase Cancer Center
• Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
• The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Moffitt Cancer Center
• The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• Stanford Cancer Institute
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
• UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
• UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
• University of Colorado Cancer Center
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
• UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center