May 1, 2025
Author(s): AJMC Contributor
Real-world insights on momelotinib (Ojjaara; GlaxoSmithKline) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia have been published, showing consistent and, in some cases, better results than those shown previously in clinical studies of the drug.1
The results offer some of the first glimpses into real-world findings of the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, which received approval toward the end of 2023, becoming the first and only treatment indicated for patients with MF and anemia.2
“This study presents the largest real-world cohort of MF patients treated with momelotinib and is the first to apply the recently proposed 2024 criteria for anemia response,” wrote the researchers, publishing the insights in Blood Cancer Journal.1
The retrospective study included 122 patients with MF and anemia across multiple treatment centers. Patients had disease-related symptoms or symptomatic splenomegaly and could be JAK-naive (23.4%) or previously received treatment with a JAK inhibitor (76.6%).
At treatment initiation, 73.8% of patients were dependent on transfusions. Among these patients, the median Hb level increased from 7.7 g/dL (range, 4.7-9.8) at treatment initiation to 8.7 g/dL at 3 months of follow-up. By 6 months, 30.6% of patients had major responses and 36.1% had minor responses. At the time follow-up point, median red blood cell transfusion frequency had dropped from 4 units per month to 1 unit per month.
The results offer some of the first glimpses into real-world findings of the JAK inhibitor momelotinib, which was approved in 2023.
Among the remaining patients who were not dependent on transfusions at treatment initiation, the median Hb level increased from 8.9 g/dL (range, 7.2-10.8) to 10.2 g/dL. At 6 months of follow-up, 36.4% of patients demonstrated a major response, and 27.3% demonstrated a minor response.