CLINICAL NEWS
With Prolonged Treatment, Ruxolitinib Lessens JAK2 V617F
Allele Burden in Patients with Myelofibrosis
A high proportion of patients
with BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia, and polycythemia vera) have
the JAK2 V617F mutation, which
can lead to constitutive JAK2
activity and contribute to dysregulated JAK signaling in clonal
cells. In the COMFORT-I trial,
use of the oral JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib led to durable
reductions in splenomegaly and
improvements in disease-related
symptoms, which led to FDA approval of ruxolitinib for patients
with intermediate-2 or high-risk
myelofibrosis in November 2011.
”Patients
originally randomized to
[receive] ruxolitinib had
prolonged
survival and
greater reductions in spleen
volume versus
patients who
crossed over
from placebo.”
—MICHAEL DEININGER, MD, PhD
Previous studies have suggested that ruxolitinib effects
th