Tag Archives: mf

Next-Generation JAK Inhibitors Signal the Future of Myelofibrosis Treatment Advances

Posted on by

Ashling Wahner

Newer-generation JAK inhibitors are increasingly adept at controlling symptoms in patients with myelofibrosis and may recapture treatment response in patients who have progressed on prior ruxolitinib (Jakafi), according to Joseph G. Jurcic, MD.

“Using drugs that target all these particular abnormalities can result in symptom and spleen improvement, and in some, a reduction in cytokines and allelic burden,” Jurcic said in an interview with OncLive®.

In the interview, Jurcic discussed the benefits and limitations of several JAK inhibitors for patients with myelofibrosis, highlighting the treatment advances that have been made since the introduction of ruxolitinib to the treatment paradigm, considerations for the use of fedratinib (Inrebic), and the potential advantages of pacritinib (Vonjo) for patients with anemia.

Read more

Selecting Therapy to Treat MF

Posted on by

OncLive

Pankit Vachhani, MD: Fedratinib is a JAK2 inhibitor that was recently FDA approved for treatment of patients with myelofibrosis, intermediate-2 and high risk. We consider using this drug either in the frontline space or in a setting where ruxolitinib has previously been used and failed the patient in giving them a long-term benefit.

When a patient is newly diagnosed with myelofibrosis, if their platelet count is higher than 50 x 109 per liter and they happen to be intermediate-2 or high risk in terms of their risk stratification, one could either use ruxolitinib or fedratinib in that setting. A key thing to consider here is the need for an assessment for stem cell transplant. Should a patient progress after using the first JAK2 inhibitor, they could use the alternative JAK2 inhibitor, or consider clinical trials at that point as well.

If, on the other hand, a patient has lower-risk myelofibrosis, the key thing to identify is whether they are symptomatic. For patients who are symptomatic, one could use ruxolitinib to alleviate the patient’s symptoms despite the disease being lower risk in nature. If one should need to use alternative agents, these would include drugs like hydroxyurea or interferon. In the event that the patients have lower-risk myelofibrosis and are asymptomatic, one may choose to monitor the patients every few months to assess their symptomatology, spleen volume or length, and assess their platelet counts.

Read more