February 21, 2025
Fedratinib (Inrebic) as a maintenance therapy following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant given at a 400 mg daily dose was determined to be safe and established as the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).1
Findings come from a recent phase 1 trial where experts explored the potential of fedratinib, a JAK2 inhibitor already approved for pre-transplant myelofibrosis, as a post-transplant maintenance therapy to reduce relapse risk and mitigate graft-vs-host disease (GVHD).
In an interview with Targeted OncologyTM, Hany Elmariah, MD, associate member at the Moffitt Cancer Center in the department of bone marrow transplant and cellular immunotherapy, discussed the trial’s findings, the safety profile of fedratinib, and its evolving role in the post-transplant setting.
Targeted Oncology: Could you discuss the background of this study and what motivated the research?
Elmariah: One of my areas of research is transplant for myelofibrosis and myeloproliferative neoplasms. While transplant can be curative, the cure rate, depending on the study, is generally in the 40% to 60% range. The main reason patients are not cured by transplant is largely the risk of relapse, which [occurs when] the cancer returns after the transplant. For those who do not relapse, there is also the risk of toxicity, such as GVHD, where the transplant attacks the patient’s own body. There are many strategies in development, both for myelofibrosis and other cancers, to reduce the risks of relapse and GVHD.