Novel Agent Shows Promise in Modifying Polycythemia Vera’s Disease Course
A potential turning point in the treatment of polycythemia vera (PV) is emerging, with ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (Besremi) demonstrating the most important disease-modifying capabilities seen to date, according to Dr. Desai. While a truly proven disease-modifying therapy for PV has remained elusive, recent clinical data suggest ropeginterferon alfa may alter the underlying pathobiology of the myeloproliferative neoplasm.
PV,a chronic blood cancer where the bone marrow makes to many red blood cells,affects hundreds of thousands globally. Current treatments primarily focus on symptom management, not addressing the disease’s root cause. The possibility of a therapy that could induce molecular and pathologic remission-and perhaps alter the disease’s trajectory-represents a major advancement for patients facing the lifelong challenges of PV.
Clinical trials of ropeginterferon alfa have revealed a reduction in JAK2 allele burden, a biomarker potentially linked to achieving both molecular and pathologic remission, Dr.Desai explained. However, she also highlighted a critical gap in the field: the lack of standardized definitions for what constitutes these remissions.
Ropeginterferon alfa-2b was approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with PV in November 2021. This regulatory decision was based on data from the phase 3 PROUD-PV (NCT01949805) and CONTINUATION-PV (NCT02218047) studies. Results from these trials showed that patients receiving ropeginterferon alfa achieved a complete hematological response in 61% of cases after 7.5 years of treatment.
