Ojjaara Treats Myelofibrosis Symptoms, Anemia and Enlarged Spleen

Ojjaara (momelotinib) is the first treatment of its kind to target all three key features of myelofibrosis: enlarged spleen, symptoms and anemia, Dr. Francesca Palandri, a study author of the phase 3 SIMPLIFY-1 trial, said during an interview with CURE at the European Hematology Association Congress.

In the trial, Ojjaara was shown to be as effective as Jakafi (ruxolitinib) at reducing spleen size and more effective at helping patients with anemia become transfusion independent. By week 24, 67% of patients on Ojjaara were transfusion independent, compared with 49% of those on Jakafi.

Palandri emphasized that addressing all three hallmarks of the disease may lead to longer survival. “We are accumulating more and more evidence that directly correlates resolution of anemia and achievement of transfusion independence with longer overall survival,” she said.

Transfusion independence with Ojjaara was linked to longer survival, highlighting anemia resolution as a critical treatment goal in myelofibrosis, as per the presentation abstract.

Palandri specializes in myeloproliferative neoplasms and has been a lead investigator in multiple international clinical trials.

She is also the associate professor of Hematology at the University of Bologna in Italy and a physician at the IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna (also known as Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital).

Transcript

Can you explain what patients should understand about the potential survival impact of Ojjaara (momelotinib), particularly in relation to its media targeting events?

Well, I think momelotinib is the first and only JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor that can simultaneously address the three main hallmarks of myelofibrosis: control of splenomegaly, control of symptoms and improvement of anemia. Once we can target all three of these features together, this can result in an improvement in overall survival. We are accumulating more and more evidence that directly correlates resolution of anemia and achievement of transfusion independence with longer overall survival. I think this is going to become one of our major therapeutic targets in the future.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness

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