Newswise — In a phase 3 clinical trial, researchers found a new drug combination could be more effective than standard single agent treatment for patients with a type of rare blood cancer called myelofibrosis.
The study compared pelabresib and ruxolitinib to standard treatment of ruxolitinib alone. Analysis of the primary endpoint for the study showed that twice as many patients who received the drug combination had a significant reduction in spleen volume as compared to ruxolitinib alone. The combination treatment also showed potential benefits in reducing symptoms and improving the functioning of the bone marrow.
The results were published March 10 in Nature Medicine.
“The initial results of the MANIFEST-2 study suggest that this new drug combination may be a significant advance treating myelofibrosis,” said study author Aaron Gerds, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute. “The main measure of success was whether the new treatment could reduce the size of the spleen by at least 35% after 24 weeks. The results showed that nearly two thirds of patients receiving the combination therapy reached this goal, compared to just over a third of those receiving the standard treatment alone. We eagerly await response suability and survival follow up as the study matures, but this does not temper the excitement over the top-line results.”
