Dr. Verstovsek on the Role of Ruxolitinib in Myelofibrosis

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, the United Energy Resources, Inc. Professor of Medicine, director of the Hanns A. Pielenz Clinical Research Center for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms​, and chief of the Section for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in the Department of Leukemia of the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the role of ruxolitinib (Jakafi) in myelofibrosis.

Myelofibrosis is a chronic disease where bone marrow cells grow uncontrollably, says Verstovsek. Over time, fibrosis occurs that limits the growth of bone marrow cells. Oftentimes, this results in anemia, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly, and poor quality of life, Verstovsek explains.

Notably, patients often die within 5 to 7 years of diagnosis as a result of these complications. However, as demonstrated in studies such as COMFORT-1 and COMFORT-2, ruxolitinib has been shown to prolong life by about 3 years in patients with myelofibrosis, Verstovsek concludes.