Among patients with who were newly diagnosed polycythemia vera (PV), treatment with Jakafi (ruxolitinib) and low-dose Pegasys (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) was found to be beneficial, resulting in high rates of hematologic and molecular response, research has shown.
Findings from the two-year end-of-study results of the phase 2 COMBI II clinical trial, published in Blood Advances, showed that the combination treatment was associated with improvements to patients’ cell counts with what researchers described as acceptable toxicity.
Researchers utilized the participation of 25 patients with PV, with a median age of 70 years. According to the study, 14 patients (56% of participants) achieved remission at 24 months, with three (12%) attaining complete remission and 11 (44%) reaching partial remission. Researchers reported what they observed as significant reductions to abdominal discomfort, night sweats, itching and bone pain, while the median JAK2V617F VAF was decreased from 47% to 7% and 60% of patients achieved molecular remission.
One of the 25 patients dropped out of the study within two years, while one patient discontinued both drugs while two patients each discontinued Jakafi and Pegasys and continued stand-alone therapy with the other drug.
Glossary:
Polycythemia vera (PV): A type of blood cancer that causes the bone marrow to produce too many red blood cells, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is part of a category of cancers known as myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Complete remission: The disappearance of all signs of cancer in response to treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Partial remission: A decrease in the extent of cancer in the body in response to treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.
JAK2V617F variant allele frequency (VAF): According to research published in Blood, this is a key determinant of outcomes in PV, including thrombosis and myelofibrotic progression.
Anemia: When someone doesn’t have enough red blood cells or their red blood cells don’t work as they should, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Myocardial infarction: Heart attack.
Dyspnea: Shortness of breath.
Researchers observed a high rate of anemia, with 68% of patients experiencing grade 1 (mild) anemia and 20% experiencing grade 2 (moderate) anemia. Anemia, researchers noted, was managed by reducing doses and was the main cause of dose reduction.
Learn more: Discussing MPN Side Effects With the Care Team Aids in Personalized Care
Grade 3 (severe) or grade 4 (life-threatening) adverse events (side effects) included myocardial infarction, upper airway infection, pneumonia, dizziness, dyspnea and follicular lymphoma (one case each grade 3); arterial hypertension and headache (two cases each grade 3), fatigue (three cases grade 3 and one case grade 4) and weight gain (one case grade 4).
Jakafi is a JAK inhibitor that, according to its website, works to control the production of red blood cells, while Pegasys, according to the National Cancer Institute, is a type of drug known as a biological response modifier.
“In this study, we have shown that the combination treatment with [Jakafi] and low-dose [Pegasys] has acceptable toxicity and is a highly efficacious treatment, for patients with newly diagnosed PV.”
Learn More: Watch updates on the horizon for polycythemia vera management from a recent CURE® Educated Patient® Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Summit.
Reference:
“Combination therapy with ruxolitinib and pegylated interferon alfa-2a in newly diagnosed patients with polycythemia vera” by Anders Lindholm Sørensen, et al., Blood Advances.
For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.
