People who took ruxolitinib tended to experience improvement in polycythemia vera (PV) symptoms compared with those who were given hydroxycarbamide in a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3b study involving 110 individuals.

Patients were randomized to ruxolitinib 10 mg BID (n=54) or hydroxycarbamide per a prerandomization dose/schedule (n=56). Investigators looked for a ≥50% improvement from baseline to week 16 in total symptom score cytokine symptom cluster (TSS-C; a sum of tiredness, itching, muscle aches, night sweats, and sweats while awake). Among the results:

• Improvement was achieved by more patients with stable screening-to-baseline TSS-C scores receiving ruxolitinib than hydroxycarbamide (47% vs. 25%).
• Overall, improvement was achieved by 43% of patients in the ruxolitinib group, vs 30% in those taking hydroxycarbamide (a nonsignificant trend).
• Ruxolitinib treatment after unblinding was linked with continued symptom score improvements.
• Adverse events were primarily grades 1/2 with no unexpected safety signals.