Hematology Times
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CythemiasJAK2 inhibitors not right for PV or ET, doc says
Richard Stone, MD
There is currently no role for JAK2 inhibitors in polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET), according to a hematologist from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The only FDA-approved JAK2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib, has shown modest activity in patients with these disorders. And clinical data supporting the drug’s use in PV and ET is sparse, Richard Stone, MD, said in a presentation at the 2013 Great Debates & Updates in Hematologic Malignancies meeting. [Read Article] NICE says ruxolitinib isn’t cost-effective
Myelofibrosis
Credit: Peter Anderson The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a final draft guidance not recommending ruxolitinib (marketed as Jakavi or Jakafi) for the treatment of disease-related splenomegaly or its symptoms in adults with myelofibrosis. Although NICE found the drug to be clinically effective in these patients, the organization concluded that use of the drug is not cost-effective. However, NICE has not yet issued the final guidance to the National Health Service (NHS), and the . . . [Read Article] US has more than 200 hematology drugs in the pipeline
Worker prepares pills
for a clinical trial Credit: Esther Dyson US pharmaceutical companies are currently developing more than 200 drugs for the treatment of hematologic disorders, according to a new report. But only a few of those drugs have reached the final stages of development, and it is unclear how many will ultimately gain FDA approval. The report, created by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), lists 241 drugs that are being evaluated in clinical trials or are under review by the FDA. [Read Article] Study points to risk factors for MPNs
AACR 2013 attendees making
their way to the poster hall Credit: AACR/Todd Buchanan Researchers have identified a number of factors that appear to be associated with the development of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The team believes these factors, which were different for essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV), could provide new insight into the pathogenesis of these disorders. “Nobody really knows about the pathogenesis of these neoplasms,” said study investigator Alexis Leal, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. [Read Article] A quicker, easier way to count WBCs
Drop of blood
Credit: Максим Кукушкин Engineers have developed a portable device for counting white blood cells (WBCs) that needs less than a pinprick’s worth of blood and takes minutes to run. The team said this device could be used to improve outpatient monitoring of individuals with chronic conditions such as cancers. It could also be used in combination with telemedicine to bring medical care to remote areas. “The white blood cell counts from our new system closely match the results from tests . . . [Read Article] |
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