Aaron Gerds, MD, MS, Cleveland Clinic

In this section, the panel examines how clinical trials and emerging molecular insights may shape the future of polycythemia vera management.

This section provides a balanced overview of currently approved treatments for polycythemia vera, including phlebotomy, hydroxyurea, and interferon.

In this segment the panel challenges the long standing focus on maintaining hematocrit below forty five percent as the sole marker of disease control.

This section examines how emerging agents such as rusfertide and givinostat may reshape the polycythemia vera treatment paradigm.

Experts discuss the place of ruxolitinib for patients with PV resistant or intolerant to hydroxyurea. They note that ruxolitinib can offer durable symptom control and improve hematologic parameters. Benefits include reduction in spleen size, symptomatic relief, and improved quality of life metrics documented in clinical trials. Limitations include potential adverse effects such as weight gain, lipid changes, and infection risk.

The panel reviews current approaches to assessing thrombotic risk. Traditional models focus on age and prior thrombosis history, which provide a foundation for clinical decisions. However, they emphasize that these criteria may not fully capture individual patient risk.

Experts discuss the challenges of managing fatigue and brain fog in patients with polycythemia vera, highlighting new therapies and patient support strategies.

Experts discuss innovative approaches to managing Polycythemia Vera, focusing on improving patient quality of life and treatment outcomes through recent trial insights.

Aaron T. Gerds, MD, MS, discusses the phase 3 VERIFY trial examining rusfertide in patients with polycythemia vera.

Aaron T. Gerds, MD, MS, discusses emerging agents in myelofibrosis.

Aaron T. Gerds, MD, MS, discusses the rationale for the real-world REVEAL study in polycythemia vera.

Expert hematologist/oncologists review the use of pacritinib for the treatment of myelofibrosis, as seen in the PERSIST-1 and PERSIST-2 trials.

Aaron Gerds, MD, MS; and Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, share insights on the impact of pathways, including JAK-STAT, on myelofibrosis disease progression and discuss considerations for the use of JAK inhibitors.

Hematology/oncology experts review their approach to monitoring treatment response in myelofibrosis (MF) and when they would consider switching therapies.

Aaron Gerds, MD, MS; and Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, share insights on the importance of allele burden in myelofibrosis (MF) and how cytopenias can limit treatment options for patients with myelofibrosis.

Experts in hematology/oncology comment on challenges in treating patients with myelofibrosis.

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, and Aaron Gerds, MD, MS, review key updates to NCCN guidelines for primary myelofibrosis and discuss treatment options for the disease.

Aaron Gerds, MD, MS, provides insight on determining low- vs high-risk primary myelofibrosis, the role of molecular status on treatment, and his approach toward symptom burden assessment.

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, describes the classic signs and symptoms of primary myelofibrosis (PMF), along with goals of therapy.