- Maintenance therapy (course 9 and all subsequent courses): Patients receive azacitidine on days 1-5 (week 1). Only patients with anemia (hemoglobin < 12 g/dL) and/or neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1,500/mm ³) at the start of any given course during maintenance therapy receive darbepoetin alfa** SC beginning on day 8 (week 2) and continuing once every 21 days and G-CSF SC 3 times weekly beginning in week 2.