TOKYO - Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., 'Astellas') announced the presentation of new investigational data in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and sickle cell disease at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, taking place December 11-14, in Atlanta, Ga. Astellas' largest ASH showing to date includes 11 AML abstracts, including four oral presentations.

'Research being presented at this year's ASH meeting investigates gilteritinib across the FLT3-mutation-positive AML disease continuum,' said Ahsan Arozullah, M.D., M.P.H., Vice President, Medical Sciences-Oncology, Astellas. 'Several presentations highlight data for gilteritinib in a wide range of patients - from newly diagnosed to relapsed or refractory patients, and in varying combination regimens.'

Presentations will include results from two Phase 3 trials: three abstracts from LACEWING, a clinical trial which included patients with newly diagnosed FLT3 mutation-positive (FLT3mut+) AML who were ineligible for first-line intensive induction chemotherapy; and one from COMMODORE, a trial of gilteritinib versus salvage chemotherapy in patients with FLT3mut+ relapsed or refractory AML conducted in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Russia.

Astellas will also present research based on patients' perspectives of AML symptoms, life impact and treatment. 'A deeper understanding of patient experiences is vital as we seek better treatment approaches in all stages of AML,' said Erhan Berrak, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs, Oncology, Astellas. 'For example, one study to be presented at this year's ASH meeting investigated the patient experience after a stem-cell transplant, shedding light on both symptoms and emotional impact, which can inform efforts to better serve patients post-transplant.'

In addition, Astellas plans to present new preclinical data on sickle cell disease (SCD) for ASP8731, a novel BACH1 inhibitor that potentially induces fetal hemoglobin (HbF). The data show potential to increase expression of antioxidant and HbF genes and reduce SCD-related pathophysiology. This may result in the reduction of hemolysis, inflammation, and vaso-occlusive pain crises in patients living with the condition.

'We are pleased to have the opportunity to present our preclinical data supporting further development of ASP8731, our BACH1 inhibitor,' said Itsuro Nagase, Ph.D., D.V.M., Vice President and Primary Focus Lead, Mitochondrial Biology, Astellas. 'These data further support our focus on mitochondrial disease research and the advances we are making across the Astellas research pipeline to develop novel therapies for patients with unmet medical needs.'

Oral Presentations

Title: Symptoms and Impacts Reported by Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Remission Post-Stem Cell Transplant (Abstract 278).

Presenting author: Thomas Leblanc, M.D., M.A., Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C., USA

Session Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 11, 2:15 p.m. ET

Title: Phase 3, Open-Label, Randomized Study of Gilteritinib and Azacitidine vs Azacitidine for Newly Diagnosed FLT3-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Patients Ineligible for Intensive Induction Chemotherapy (LACEWING) (Abstract 700).

Presenting author: Eunice S. Wang, M.D., Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, N.Y., USA

Session Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 13, 3:30 p.m. ET

Title: Gilteritinib Versus Salvage Chemotherapy for Relapsed/Refractory FLT3-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Phase 3, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Trial in Asia (COMMODORE) (Abstract 695).

Presenting author: Jianxiang Wang, M.D., State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China

Session Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 13, 3:45 p.m. ET

Title: Venetoclax in Combination with Gilteritinib Demonstrates Molecular Clearance of FLT3 Mutation in Relapsed/Refractory FLT3-mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Supported by AbbVie, Astellas and Genentech) (Abstract 691).

Presenting author: Naval Daver, M.D., Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Session Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 13, 2:45 p.m. ET

Title: ML-0207/ASP8731: A Novel BACH1 Inhibitor That Induces Fetal Hemoglobin in Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease (Abstract 854).

Presenting author: Greg Vercellotti, MD, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., USA

Session Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. ET

Poster Presentations

Title: A Phase 1, Dose-Escalation Study of Gilteritinib Combined with Chemotherapy in Patients Aged 6 Months to

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