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Long-Term Survival with Ruxolitinib Evaluated

J Hematol Oncol; 2017 Sep 29; Verstovsek, et al

Publish date:: November 11, 2017

Ruxolitinib treatment is efficacious in patients with int-2 or high-risk myelofibrosis regardless of anemia or transfusion status, according to a study involving 528 individuals. Data were pooled from the COMFORT I and II trials, in which patients could cross over to ruxolitinib from either placebo or best available therapy, which all continuing patients did. Investigators looked at overall survival in treatment (n=301) and control (n=227) groups, as well as by baseline anemia and transfusion status at week 24. Among the results:

Mortality risk was reduced by 30% in patients randomized to ruxolitinib, compared with patients in the control group (median of 5.3 and 3.8 years, respectively).
Overall survival was longer for patients originally randomized to ruxolitinib vs those who crossed over (5.3 and 2.3 years, respectively).
Ruxolitinib prolonged overall survival vs control (5.3 and 2.4 years, respectively).
Survival benefit was seen with ruxolitinib regardless of baseline anemia.

Citation:

Verstovsek S, Gotlib J, Mesa R, et al. Long-term survival in patients treated with ruxolitinib for myelofibrosis: COMFORT-I and -II pooled analyses. J Hematol Oncol. 2017;10(1):156. doi:10.1186/s13045-017-0527-7.

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