Myelofibrosis Patients With Transfusion Independence Show Improved Bone Marrow Fibrosis Reduction

Patients with myelofibrosis (MF) who achieve transfusion independence (TI) response (TI-R) on pacritinib show bone marrow reticulin fibrosis (BMF) improvement, according to a study presented at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition.

In the PERSIST-2 study, Stephen T. Oh, MD, and colleagues assessed 41 patients with MF on pacritinib (median dose intensity, 100% through week 24) and 18 on ruxolitinib (median daily dose, 10 mg at week 24).

According to the results, a notably higher proportion of patients treated with pacritinib versus ruxolitinib achieved TI through week 24 (37% vs 6%, respectively; P=.023). The study also found that 44% of patients achieved TI-R, and the proportion of patients who experienced BMF reduction (≥1 grade at any point) was significantly greater among patients with TI-R (62.5%) than those with TI-nonresponse (10.0%) on pacritinib.

“In cytopenic MF patients from PERSIST-2, TI-R on pacritinib was associated with BMF improvement,” the researchers concluded. They added that “these findings suggest that distinct inhibitory profiles may further distinguish the clinical impact of these treatments. Further studies are warranted to confirm the relationship between BMF reduction and anemia benefit in patients treated with pacritinib.”

Reference

Oh S, Shammo J, Gupta V, et al. Retrospective analysis of the relationship between transfusion independence and bone marrow fibrosis reduction in patients with myelofibrosis treated with pacritinib versus ruxolitinib. Abstract #4566. Presented at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition; December 9-12, 2023; San Diego, California.