Could Vitamin B5 help alleviate anaemia in MDS patients?
8 Apr. 2026
Anaemia is one of the most common and challenging symptoms of MDS, often causing fatigue, breathlessness and a reduced quality of life. Researchers believe that Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) may help improve red blood cell production in some people with MDS, potentially helping to reduce the effects of anaemia.
About the new Vitamin B5 for MDS clinical trial.
This promising area of research has led to the development of the B5 for MDS clinical trial, which is now being rolled out nationally following full funding from Cancer Research UK.
The research began in 2023, when Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre (Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London) and his team published a study in Science Translational Medicine showing that Vitamin B5 could help restore red blood cell production in MDS cells. MDS UK helped fund the next stage of the research, which has since secured full funding from Cancer Research UK for a national clinical trial.
Watch: Dr Onima Chowdhury discuss the new national B5 for MDS trial - (recorded at the MDS UK Support meeting, June 16th 2026)
We were delighted to welcome Dr Onima Chowdhury, Consultant Haematologist at Oxford University Hospitals and Clinical Lead of the VitB5 for MDS trial, to our online support meeting on 16 June 2026. In this presentation, Dr Chowdhury discusses the new clinical trial and the potential role of Vitamin B5 as a treatment for anaemia in MDS.
Previous presentation: The science behind Vitamin B5 and MDS
Before the national trial was announced, Dr Onima Chowdhury, Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre and colleagues joined MDS UK members on 18 March 2025 to explain the science behind the research and the early findings that led to the development of the clinical trial. Watch the earlier presentation below.
Watch: A recorded presentation about the Vitamin B5 study
About the Cancer Research UK funding for this national clinical trial
In April 2026, Cancer Research UK awarded full funding for the B5forMDS national clinical trial.
This is a significant achievement, reflecting both the strength of the research and the dedication of the clinical and scientific teams involved. The award enables the study to move forward as a national trial, taking the research one step closer to patients.
Speaking about the award, Dr Onima Chowdhury said:
"This is true bench-to-bedside precision medicine. I hope that this research can improve the treatment landscape for MDS, repurposing a tablet that should be easy for patients to tolerate."
While the trial will initially involve a small number of patients across specialist centres, the funding represents an important step forward for both the project and the wider MDS community.
Our congratulations and thanks go to the clinical team for bringing the study to this stage. We are proud to have supported the project and look forward to following its progress.
Find out more about the funding award
- Read the full Oxford press release
- Learn more about the clinical trial: New £1m clinical trial launches to improve quality of life for people with blood cancer
- Listen to an interview with Drs Onima Chowdhury and Kevin Rouault-Pierre on the Hema Now podcast series
- View the trial announcement on the Cancer Research website
The Vitamin B5 Study Team
Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre is group leader and a Reader in Stem Cell Biology and Diseases at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
Dr Shoshana Burke is a Clinical Research Fellow in Dr Rouault-Pierre’s laboratory and a clinician at the Barts Health NHS Trust.
Dr Onima Chowdhury is a consultant haematologist in the Haematology department at Oxford University Hospitals where she looks after patients with myeloid malignancies. She is also a clinical lead in the diagnostics laboratory.
For more information
- See article in 'Science Translational Medicine' for more on the study that demonstrated Vitamin B5's role in restoring red blood cell production in MDS patient cells 'Vitamin B5 and succinyl-CoA improve ineffective erythropoiesis in SF3B1-mutated myelodysplasia'
- Visit the British Society of Haematology to read more about the first stage of the study and how 'Vitamin B5 could help patients with myelodysplastic syndrome'
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