Rytelo

Rytelo is a medicine used to treat anaemia (low levels of red blood cells) in adults with myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of conditions where the bone marrow produces abnormal blood cells and too few healthy ones. Rytelo is used in patients whose condition does not have an isolated deletion 5q cytogenetic (non-del 5q) abnormality, and who need regular blood transfusions and have a very low to intermediate risk of their condition developing into acute myeloid leukaemia (a blood cancer). It is used in patients for whom erythropoietin (a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells) does not work well enough or who cannot be treated with erythropoietin. Myelodysplastic syndromes are rare, and Rytelo was designated an ‘orphan medicine’ (a medicine used in rare diseases) on 27 July 2020. Further information on the orphan designation can be found on the EMA [website](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/orphan-designations/eu-3-20-2305). Rytelo contains the active substance imetelstat.