Dr. Verstovsek on the Efficacy of Ruxolitinib Plus CPI-0610 in Myelofibrosis

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, the United Energy Resources, Inc. Professor of Medicine, director of the Hanns A. Pielenz Clinical Research Center for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms​, and chief of the Section for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in the Department of Leukemia of the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the efficacy of ruxolitinib (Jakafi) in combination with CPI-0610 in myelofibrosis.

Ruxolitinib-based combination regimens are being evaluated in multiple settings for patients with myelofibrosis, including the newly diagnosed setting, says Verstovsek. The goal of treatment for patients with JAK-inhibitor naïve myelofibrosis is to control splenomegaly and symptom burden, Verstovsek says. As such, adding an agent to ruxolitinib may increase the likelihood of achieving these goals, Verstovsek explains.

Findings from the phase 2 MANIFEST trial showed that at 12 weeks, the BET inhibitor CPI-0610 in combination with ruxolitinib demonstrated a 72.5% rate of reduction in spleen volume of at least 35% and a 58% rate of total symptom score reduction of at least 50% in patients with JAK inhibitor–naïve myelofibrosis, says Verstovsek. Notably, these responses were better compared with those demonstrated with ruxolitinib alone in this patient population, Verstovsek explains.

As such, the ongoing phase 3 MANIFEST-2 trial (NCT04603495) is currently enrolling and randomizing patients with JAK inhibitor–naïve myelofibrosis to ruxolitinib plus CPI-0610 or placebo, concludes Verstovsek.