Phase 3 Trial of Bomedemstat in Essential Thrombocythemia Begins Enrollment

By Sabrina Serani
Fact checked by Jordyn Sava

A pivotal phase 3 trial (NCT06456346) has initiated to evaluate bomedemstat (MK-3543; IMG-7289), an investigational agent for the treatment of patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) who have previously not received cytoreductive therapy.1

“The standard of care in essential thrombocythemia has remained unchanged for decades, and patients are in need of new options that have the potential to not only improve disease control, but also improve their quality of life,” said Gregory Lubiniecki, MD, vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories, in a press release. “We are rapidly advancing our clinical development programs with the goal of helping to address these unmet needs and bring more options to patients living with myeloproliferative neoplasms.”

The Shorespan-007 trial will compare the orally available LSD1 inhibitor bomedemstat with standard-of-care hydroxyurea in patients with treatment-naive ET, the most common myeloproliferative neoplasm. LSD1 is an enzyme that is potentially important for regulating the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells, as well as the maturation of progenitor cells.

The study’s primary end point is durable clinicohematologic response rate, and secondary end points include duration of hematologic remission, event-free survival, incidence of adverse events, and disease progression rate. Additionally, investigators will be patient-reported outcomes, including fatigue and symptoms.

The FDA previously granted orphan drug and fast track designations to bomedemstat in ET and myelofibrosis, as well as orphan drug designation in acute myeloid leukemia.

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Essential Thrombocythemia Trial Launched Evaluating Bomedemstat

By Alex Biese
Fact checked by Ashley Chan

A second phase 3 clinical trial has been launched for the investigational oral drug bomedemstat as a potential new treatment for patients with essential thrombocythemia.

The Shorespan-007 clinical trial, according to a news release from bomedemstat manufacturer Merck, will investigate the use of the drug among patients with essential thrombocythemia who have not previously received cytoreductive therapy.

The global trial, which is currently recruiting, will compare bomedemstat to the current standard of care chemotherapy, hydroxyurea. The trial, with 300 participants, is expected to be concluded in May 2029, according to its listing on clinicaltrials.gov.

Essential thrombocythemia, part of a group of blood cancers known as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), is a rare disease in which the bone marrow produces too many platelets, according to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This disease, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society explained, can cause blood clots to form in a patient’s blood vessels, in turn resulting in serious health issues such as stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

“The standard of care in essential thrombocythemia has remained unchanged for decades, and patients are in need of new options that have the potential to not only improve disease control but also improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president of global clinical development for Merck Research Laboratories, in the company’s news release. “We are rapidly advancing our clinical development programs with the goal of helping to address these unmet needs and bring more options to patients living with myeloproliferative neoplasms.”

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Merck Announces Phase 3 Trial Initiation for Bomedemstat, an Investigational Candidate for the Treatment of Certain Patients With Essential Thrombocythemia

August 27, 2024 6:45 am ET

The initiation of a second Phase 3 clinical trial for bomedemstat demonstrates company’s commitment to advancing research in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced the initiation of Shorespan-007, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating bomedemstat, an investigational orally available lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) who have previously not received cytoreductive therapy. Essential thrombocythemia is a chronic, rare blood disorder and is the most common type of myeloproliferative neoplasm. Global recruitment of the Shorespan-007 trial has begun, with patients now enrolling.

“The standard of care in essential thrombocythemia has remained unchanged for decades, and patients are in need of new options that have the potential to not only improve disease control, but also improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are rapidly advancing our clinical development programs with the goal of helping to address these unmet needs and bring more options to patients living with myeloproliferative neoplasms.”

Shorespan-007 is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled clinical trial ( NCT06456346 ) evaluating bomedemstat compared to the current standard of care chemotherapy, hydroxyurea, for treatment of patients with ET who have previously not received cytoreductive therapy. The trial will enroll approximately 300 patients globally. The primary endpoint of the study is durable clinicohematologic response rate (CHR). Key secondary endpoints include Myelofibrosis Symptom Assessment Form version 4.0 (MFSAF v4.0) individual fatigue symptom item score, Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Fatigue SF-7a total fatigue score and MFSAF v4.0 total symptom score. Additional secondary endpoints include duration of hematologic remission, event-free survival and disease progression rate.

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