Cyprus prepares for introduction of Reblozyl for thalassemia patients

On World Thalassemia Day, May 8, Cypriot authorities announced that the drug Reblozyl is set to be included in the General Health System (GHS). Cyprus currently reports the highest per-capita rate of thalassemia in the world, with one in seven citizens being a carrier and over 1,300 people living with the disease. Approximately half of these patients require regular blood transfusions. According to Miltos Miltiadous, president of the Pan-Cyprus Thalassemia Association, the introduction of the drug marks a significant development for patients who historically lacked access to basic medications. Reblozyl is not a cure or gene therapy, but it assists the body in producing functional red blood cells, thereby reducing the dependency on blood transfusions. The drug has received regulatory approval in the European Union and the United States for adult beta-thalassemia patients and certain myelodysplastic syndromes. Approval was largely based on the BELIEVE clinical trial, which demonstrated a meaningful reduction in transfusion requirements for participants.