Dr. Mesa on Intended Patients With Myelofibrosis for Pacritinib

Ruben A. Mesa, MD, deputy director, Mayo Clinic, discusses pacritinib for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis and low platelet counts.

In the United States, there are approximately 20,000 patients with myelofibrosis, Mesa explains. An estimated one-third of these patients have thrombocytopenia. For patients with long-term disease, thrombocytopenia becomes more prevalent, he adds.

Overall, side effects associated with pacritinib were found to be manageable, as demonstrated in a recent study. Grade 1/2 gastrointestinal events, including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, were the most prevalent. Three enrolled patients discontinued treatment due to these adverse events, Mesa says.