Rusfertide More Than Triples Responses Vs Placebo in Phlebotomy-Dependent Polycythemia Vera

Posted on February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 by mpn_admin

February 27, 2024

Caroline Seymour

Treatment with rusfertide led to a 60% response rate (n = 18/30) vs 17% (n = 5/29) with placebo in patients with phlebotomy-dependent polycythemia vera (P = .002), according to updated findings from part 2 of the phase 2 REVIVE trial (NCT04057040) which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.¹

The international trial was designed with 3 parts: a 28-week, open-label, dose-finding portion in which rusfertide was added to a patient’s ongoing therapy of phlebotomy alone or cytoreductive therapy with optional phlebotomy; a double-blind, randomized withdrawal portion wherein patients were randomly assigned to receive rusfertide or placebo for 12 weeks (weeks 29 to 41); and an open-label extension period following patients on rusfertide therapy for up to 3 years.

Findings from part 1 showed that the estimated mean number of annual phlebotomies was 8.7±2.9 during the 28 weeks before the first dose of rusfertide and 0.6±1.0 during part 1 (estimated difference, 8.1 phlebotomies per year). Moreover, the mean maximum hematocrit level was 44.5±2.2% during part 1 vs 50.0±5.8% during the 28 weeks before the first dose of rusfertide. Patient quality of life was also improved on rusfertide, with a lower severity of disease-related symptoms.

“Rusfertide appears to represent a significant step forward in treating [patients with] polycythemia vera through its unique approach of limiting the amount of iron available for blood cell production,” Marina Kremyanskaya, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine (hematology and medical oncology) at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, New York, and lead author of the study, stated in a news release.² “Pending further clinical studies, this injectable agent could become a valuable therapeutic tool for a disease which many patients and their physicians struggle to bring under control.”

Addition of Parsaclisib to Ruxolitinib Decreases Spleen Volume and Improves Symptom Scores Among Patients With Myelofibrosis

Posted on February 26, 2024February 26, 2024 by mpn_admin

Jordan Kadish

02/23/2024

The addition of parsaclisib to stable-dose ruxolitinib treatment decreased spleen volume, improved symptom scores, and yielded acceptable safety among patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis (MF), according to findings from a phase 2 trial published in Blood Advances.

Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD, The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, Kansas, and coauthors explained that although ruxolitinib has demonstrated beneficial results among patients with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis, “suboptimal response may occur, potentially because of signaling via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B pathway.”

In this phase 2 trial, the study authors aimed to measure the potential benefit of adding PI3Kδ inhibitor parsaclisib to ruxolitinib treatment among patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis who did not have optimal responses to ruxolitinib alone. The primary end points were dosing, efficacy, and safety of this treatment combination.

All patients included in this study stayed on a stable dose of ruxolitinib. Among these patients, 32 were administered parsaclisib at 10 or 20 mg once daily for 8 weeks, then once weekly afterward (daily-to-weekly dosing). Additionally, 42 patients were administered parsaclisib at 5 or 20 mg once daily for 8 weeks, and then 5 mg once daily afterward (all-daily dosing).

Study shows early success of a novel drug in treating a rare and chronic blood cancer

Posted on February 26, 2024February 26, 2024 by mpn_admin

February 21, 2024

by The Mount Sinai Hospital

A novel treatment for polycythemia vera, a potentially fatal blood cancer, demonstrated the ability to control overproduction of red blood cells, the hallmark of this malignancy and many of its debilitating symptoms in a multi-center clinical trial led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In the phase 2 study, the drug rusfertide limited excess production of red blood cells, the main manifestation of polycythemia vera, over the 28-week course of treatment. The results suggest it could replace therapeutic phlebotomy, a common form of treatment which has proven to be a burden for many patients. The results of the study were published today (Feb. 21) in The New England Journal of Medicine.

“Rusfertide appears to represent a significant step forward in treating polycythemia vera through its unique approach of limiting the amount of iron available for blood cell production,” says Marina Kremyanskaya, MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) at Icahn Mount Sinai and lead author of the study.

JNJ-88549968 by Johnson & Johnson for Essential Thrombocythemia: Likelihood of Approval

Posted on February 19, 2024February 19, 2024 by mpn_admin

GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval.

JNJ-88549968 overview

JNJ-88549968 is under development for the treatment of calreticulin (CALR)-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms, essential thrombocythemia, neoplasms, leukemia and myelofibrosis. The therapeutic candidate is a bispecific antibody acts by targeting calreticulin and CD3.

Disc wins orphan drug tag for rare blood cancer

Posted on February 13, 2024February 13, 2024 by mpn_admin

February 12, 2024

By Jeanne Philpott

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an orphan drug designation (ODD) to US-based biotech Disc Medicine’s DISC-3405 to treat rare blood cancer polycythemia vera (PV).

Disc gained exclusive rights to develop and market the anti-TMPRSS6 (Transmembrane Serine Protease 6) humanized antibody in the US and other territories when it teamed up with Mabwell Therapeutics in a $412.5m licensing agreement in January 2023.

In October 2023, DISC initiated an ongoing Phase I clinical trial (NCT06050915) for DISC-3405, previously named MWTX-003 with data from the study now expected in H1 2024. The orphan drug designation comes after the drug had previously received fast-track designation from the FDA.

The 64-patient Phase I study is divided into groups receiving either a single or multiple doses of DISC-3405, or a placebo. In the single ascending dose (SAD) phase, two subjects serve as sentinels: one receives DISC-3405, and the other placebo. Additional subjects in the cohort are dosed at least 24 hours after the last sentinel dosing, following approval from the principal investigator. Subsequent multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts are enrolled only after a sufficient safety observation period for the SAD cohort, removing the need for sentinels in MAD cohorts.

Study Supports Further Exploration of Tamoxifen in MPNs

Posted on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 by mpn_admin

January 24, 2024

Sabrina Serani

Findings from a phase 2 study support the further investigation of tamoxifen (Soltamox), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), as a treatment option in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), with extra consideration for thrombotic risk.¹

A total of 38 patients with MPNs with mutated JAK2^V617F, CALR^ins5, or CALR^del52 peripheral blood allele burden greater than 20% were recruited, and 32 patients completed 24 weeks of treatment. A greater than 50% reduction in mutant allele burden at 24 weeks was observed in 3 patients, and a 25% or greater reduction in mutant allele burden at 24 weeks was observed in 5 patients.

An exploratory analysis of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) transcriptome identified a difference between responders and non-responders. Investigators observed that in responder HSPCs, there was a high baseline expression of Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling and oxidative phosphorylation genes, which tamoxifen appeared to downregulate.

“The perfect segregation of the HSPC transcriptome from responders and non-responders at baseline could serve in the future as a platform for the stratification of patients based on their likelihood to respond to tamoxifen and for the identification of predictive biomarkers of response, if prospectively validated,” study authors wrote in findings published in Nature Communications.

“These results suggest that the metabolic effects of SERMs in cancer might be underappreciated and propose ways to modulate pathogenic JAK-STAT signaling through metabolic rewiring. These results warrant further investigation of tamoxifen as potential therapeutic for MPN in larger studies, after careful consideration of the risk of thrombosis,” study authors wrote.

Patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis (MF), post-PV MF, and post-ET MF were included in the study. The primary end point was a mutant allele burden reduction of greater than 50% at 24 weeks. The secondary end points included mutant allele burden reduction between 25% and 50% at 24 weeks, a greater than 50% reduction at 12 weeks, thrombotic events, toxicities, and hematological response.

Thrombotic adverse events (AEs) potentially related to tamoxifen were reported in 2 patients, and 1 patient discontinued treatment due to this AE. Investigators identified that the thrombotic events only occurred in non-responders, so identifying responders before initiating treatment should help reduce risks to patients.

Regarding safety, 11 additional patients discontinued study treatment due to toxicity. A grade 1 intracranial hemorrhage unrelated to tamoxifen was reported. No patient deaths were reported. Complete symptoms response was observed in 19% of patients, while 71.4% of patients had a partial symptom response, and 9.5% of patients had no response.

The results of this study warrant further exploration into tamoxifen as a treatment option for MPNs and further investigation of SERMs with lower thrombotic risks.

REFERENCES:

1. Fang Z, Corbizi Fattori G, McKerrell T, et al. Tamoxifen for the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms: A phase II clinical trial and exploratory analysis. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):7725. Published 2023 Nov 25. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43175-5

Results from phase 1 of the MANIFEST clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of pelabresib in patients with myeloid malignancies

Posted on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 by mpn_admin

Eytan M. Stein, Amir T. Fathi, Wael A. Harb, Gozde Colak, Andrea Fusco & James K. Mangan

ABSTRACT

Pelabresib (CPI-0610), a BET protein inhibitor, is in clinical development for hematologic malignancies, given its ability to target NF-κB gene expression. The MANIFEST phase 1 study assessed pelabresib in patients with acute leukemia, high-risk myelodysplastic (MDS) syndrome, or MDS/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPNs) (NCT02158858). Forty-four patients received pelabresib orally once daily (QD) at various doses (24–400 mg capsule or 225–275 mg tablet) on cycles of 14 d on and 7 d off. The most frequent drug-related adverse events were nausea, decreased appetite, and fatigue. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 225 mg tablet QD. One patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) showed partial remission. In total, 25.8% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and 38.5% of high-risk MDS patients had stable disease. One AML patient and one CMML patient showed peripheral hematologic response. The favorable safety profile supports the ongoing pivotal study of pelabresib in patients with myelofibrosis using the recommended phase 2 dose of 125 mg tablet QD.

Fedratinib Improves Myelofibrosis Management Compared With Ruxolitinib

Posted on January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 by mpn_admin

By Patrick Daly – Last Updated: January 17, 2024

Treatment with fedratinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi), induced superior spleen volume reduction (SVR) and symptom response rates compared with best available therapy in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) who previously received ruxolitinib, according to data from the open-label phase III FREEDOM2 study, presented at the 65th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition.

“Most patients on best available therapy received ruxolitinib, highlighting a need for an alternative JAKi,” stated lead author of the study, Claire Harrison, MD, FRCP, from Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, England.

The FREEDOM2 trial enrolled patients aged 18 years or older with primary, post-polycythemia vera, or post-essential thrombocythemia MF with splenomegaly who were intolerant or refractory to, or relapsed after ruxolitinib. The primary endpoint was SVR ≥35% (SVR35) at the end of the sixth 28-day cycle.

Fedratinib for Myelofibrosis Treatment Superior to Ruxolitinib

In total, 201 patients were randomized to fedratinib (n=134) or best available therapy (n=67). The cohort had a median age of 70 (interquartile range, 64-74), 52.2% were male, 54.7% had primary MF, and 76.1% had a Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System risk score of intermediate-2.

Overall, 70.1% of patients in the best available therapy arm received ruxolitinib, 10.4% received hydroxyurea, and 7.5% received ruxolitinib plus hydroxyurea. Additionally, 46 (68.7%) patients in the best available therapy arm crossed over to fedratinib after either disease progression or the sixth cycle response assessment.

With a median follow-up of 15 months at the data cutoff, researchers reported the fedratinib group had a significantly higher SVR35 rate of 35.8% at the end of cycle six compared with best available therapy at 6.0% (P<.0001). Fedratinib also yielded superior SVR ≥25% at the cycle six assessment and superior SVR35 at any point during treatment. The rate of symptom response at the end of cycle six was 34.1% with fedratinib versus 16.9% with best available therapy (P=.0033).

In short, “fedratinib demonstrated superior SVR and symptom response rates compared with [best available therapy]” in patients with MF and prior ruxolitinib treatment, concluded Dr. Harrison and colleagues.

Reference

Harrison CN, Mesa RA, Talpaz M, et al. Efficacy and safety of fedratinib in patients with myelofibrosis previously treated with ruxolitinib: results from the phase 3 randomized FREEDOM2 study. Abstract #3204. Presented at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition; December 9-12, 2023; San Diego, California.

GB2064 Displays Preliminary Efficacy, Tolerability in Myelofibrosis

Posted on January 17, 2024January 17, 2024 by mpn_admin

January 16, 2024

Kyle Doherty

The potential first-in-class, oral, lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) inhibitor GB2064 displayed efficacy with a generally acceptable tolerability profile in the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis, according to topline findings from the phase 2a MYLOX-1 trial (NCT04679870).¹

Among evaluable patients with myelofibrosis who were treated with GB2064 monotherapy for a minimum of 6 months (n = 10), 6 experienced a reduction in collagen fibrosis of the bone marrow of at least 1 grade. All patients who achieved this reduction in bone marrow fibrosis displayed stable hematological parameters, including hemoglobin, white blood cell count, and platelet count. This indicates the agent’s potential impact on disease progression and disease-modifying capabilities. At 6 months of treatment, 1 patient experienced a reduction in spleen volume of at least 35%, 2 reduced their Total Symptom Score (TSS) by over 50%, and another patient experienced an anemia response.

“It is exciting and encouraging to see that the data from the MYLOX-1 trial affirms the safety and effectiveness of LOXL-2 inhibition in the challenging landscape of myelofibrosis,” Claire Harrison, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, chair of the Safety Review Committee for the MYLOX-1 trial, a professor of myeloproliferative neoplasms, and the clinical director of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, England, said in a press release. “I am especially intrigued by the unique observed improvements in bone marrow collagen fibrosis, showcasing the targeted impact on a crucial aspect of this relentless disease.”

MYLOX-1 was an open-label, single-arm study that enrolled adult patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis who were ineligible, refractory, or intolerant to treatment with a JAK inhibitor. Patients had intermediate-2 or high-risk disease by the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System-plus, or low-risk disease with symptomatic splenomegaly. Eligible patients were also required to have an ECOG performance status of 2 or less, not be receiving JAK inhibitor therapy, display required baseline laboratory counts, and have a documented history of transfusion records in the preceding 12 weeks to day 1 of study treatment.²

All patients on the study treatment received 1000 mg of oral GB2064 twice daily for 9 months. Patients underwent bone marrow biopsies at the beginning of the trial and again at 3, 6 and 9 months. The primary end point was the safety and tolerability of GB2064; key secondary end points included evaluating hematological parameters and the direct anti-fibrotic activity of GB2064 by blocking LOXL2 in an indication that allows for repeated tissue biopsies.^1,2

The study dosed a total of 18 patients with myelofibrosis. Most patients (61%) had previously received the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib (Jakafi); 8 of these patients were refractory to JAK inhibitor therapy and 3 were intolerant.¹

Additional assessment of bone marrow biopsies in MYLOX-1 revealed that GB2064 penetrated the bone marrow and could exert its anti-fibrotic effect directly in the disease compartment. Additionally, the agent displayed systemic target engagement by binding to LOXL2 in plasma. Four patients who experienced clinical benefit with GB2046, as determined by the treating physician, have entered the extension phase of MYLOX-1. Notably, 1 of these patients has received treatment for over 30 months.

GB2064 displayed a tolerable safety profile, with 8 of the 18 dosed patients completing treatment in the core phase of MYLOX-1. The remaining 10 patients discontinued treatment due to adverse effects or progressive disease. The most common any-grade treatment-related adverse effects were manageable with standard therapy and gastrointestinal in nature. The lone treatment-related serious adverse effect was a case of fall, which was determined to be possibly related to GB2064 treatment.

“We believe that the topline results from the MYLOX-1 trial reaffirm the anti-fibrotic activity observed in the intermediate assessment of the trial announced in September 2022,” Hans T. Schambye, MD, PhD, the president and chief executive officer of Galecto, said in the press release. “We are very excited with the proof of principle achieved with GB2064, showcasing its strong anti-fibrotic impact in a very challenging patient population. The encouraging topline results from the MYLOX-1 trial reinforce our confidence in GB2064’s potential as a transformative therapy for various cancers and a range of fibrotic diseases, but we will not make any decisions relating to funding additional trials with GB2064 until we complete our previously announced strategic alternative process.”

In September 2023, Galecto announced that it completed a review of its business and would conduct a comprehensive exploration of strategic alternatives focused on maximizing shareholder value. Galecto did not set a timetable for completion of the evaluation and said it did not intend to disclose further developments or guidance on the status of its programs unless it determined that further disclosure is appropriate or necessary.³

References

Topline results from MYLOX-1 trial demonstrate reduction in fibrosis of the bone marrow in patients with myelofibrosis. News release. Galecto, Inc. December 21, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/topline-results-from-mylox-1-trial-demonstrate-reduction-in-fibrosis-of-the-bone-marrow-in-patients-with-myelofibrosis/
A study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral GB2064 in participants with myelofibrosis. ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated May 6, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04679870
Galecto announces plans to explore strategic alternatives. News release. Galecto, Inc. September 26, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://ir.galecto.com/news-releases/news-release-details/galecto-announces-plans-explore-strategic-alternatives

INCA-033989 by Incyte for Myelofibrosis: Likelihood of Approval

Posted on January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 by mpn_admin

January 12, 2024

INCA-033989 overview

INCA-033989 is under development for the treatment of myelofibrosis (MF), essential thrombocythemia (ET). The drug candidate is a monoclonal antibody which acts by targeting calreticulin (CALR).

It was also under development for post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (Post-ET MF) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF).

Incyte overview

Incyte is a biopharmaceutical company, which discovers, develops and commercializes proprietary cancer therapeutics. The company’s lead product, Jakafi (ruxolitinib) is marketed in the US for the treatment of patients with high-risk myelofibrosis; and polycythemia vera who are intolerant to hydroxyurea. The company distributes Jakafi through a network of specialty pharmacy providers and wholesalers. In collaboration with Incyte, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd (Novartis) develops and commercializes ruxolitinib outside the US for hematologic and cancer indications under the name Jakavi. The company’s pipeline portfolio encompasses drugs for the treatment of lung cancer, graft versus host disease, b-cell malignancies, solid tumors, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, liver cancer, and advanced malignancies. Incyte is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the US.