Dr. Mascarenhas Discusses Pacritinib in Myelofibrosis

John Mascarenhas, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, discusses pacritinib in patients with myelofibrosis.

Pacritinib has been shown to be effective in reducing spleen volume and symptom burden in the frontline setting, and can be delivered safely in patients with low platelet count, says Mascarenhas.

In the second-line setting, several JAK2 inhibitors have been tested but haven’t progressed due to toxicities. Recently, the phase III PERSIST-2 study tested pacritinib versus best available therapy.

Pacritinib was put on full clinical hold by the FDA in February 2016 due to excessive mortality, cardiac toxicity, and bleeding. But, Mascarenhas notes, there was no observable significant difference in mortality rates between pacritinib and the best available therapy, per the survival results of the PERSIST-2 study.