Patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR MDS) have a median survival of ~1.5 years with azacitidine, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is their only curative option. Therefore, improved therapies are needed. This phase 1b study investigated safety and efficacy of venetoclax, a selective BCL-2 inhibitor, at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D: 400 mg for 14 days/28-day cycle), in combination with azacitidine (75 mg/m2 for 7 days/28-day cycle) for treatment-naive HR …