JAK Inhibitors Appear Hopeful for Transplant-Eligible MPN Patients in Retrospective Data

Uday R. Popat, MD, professor, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the role of JAK inhibitors in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

The bets data to confirm the role of JAK inhibitors, such as ruxolitinib (Jakafi) and fedratinib (Inrebic) which are both FDA-approved for MPN indications, in the transplant-eligible population would be from a randomized clinical trial in which patients receive the JAK inhibitor or a different therapy. While this data is not yet available, Popat says we do have retrospective data that appear promising.

In a retrospective study of about 100 patients, a JAK inhibitor was given to patients prior to transplant, and the outcomes appeared better among those who went on and received transplant after the JAK inhibitor, Popat says. Similar data from the Seattle Group also demonstrated ruxolitinib with a conditioning regimen induced promising survival data.