Dr. Mesa on Achieving Transfusion Independence in Momelotinib-Treated Myelofibrosis

Ruben A. Mesa, MD, director of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the importance of achieving transfusion independence with momelotinib in myelofibrosis.

Anemia is a negative prognostic indicator for outcomes in patients with myelofibrosis, says Mesa. During the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting and the 2021 EHA Virtual Congress, findings from analyses of the Simplify 1 (NCT01969838) and Simplify 2 (NCT02101268) trials were presented. The results revealed that patients with JAK inhibitor–naïve myelofibrosis who are receiving momelotinib and maintain or achieve transfusion independence at week 24 have more favorable overall survival compared with transfusion-independent non-responders.

These results confirm that momelotinib can provide a cumulative benefit for patients with myelofibrosis and that transfusion independence is associated with a survival advantage compared with transfusion dependence, Mesa explains. As such, these findings suggest that anemia is a clinically relevant disease feature and that the addition of momelotinib broadens the therapeutic armamentarium for patients with myelofibrosis, concludes Mesa.