Momelotinib versus danazol in symptomatic patients with anaemia and myelofibrosis (MOMENTUM): results from an international, double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND: Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors approved for myelofibrosis provide spleen and symptom improvements but do not meaningfully improve anaemia. Momelotinib, a first-in-class inhibitor of activin A receptor type 1 as well as JAK1 and JAK2, has shown symptom, spleen, and anaemia benefits in myelofibrosis. We aimed to confirm the differentiated clinical benefits of momelotinib versus the active comparator danazol in JAK-inhibitor-exposed, symptomatic patients with anaemia and intermediate-risk or high-risk myelofibrosis. METHODS: MOMENTUM is an international, double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 3 study that enrolled patients at 107 sites across 21 countries worldwide. Eligible patients were 18 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis or post-polycythaemia vera or post-essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive momelotinib (200 mg orally once per day) plus danazol placebo (ie, the momelotinib group) or danazol (300 mg orally twice per day) plus momelotinib placebo (ie, the danazol group), stratified by total symptom score (TSS; <22 vs ≥22), spleen size (<12 cm vs ≥12 cm), red blood cell or whole blood units transfused in the 8 weeks before randomisation (0 units vs 1-4 units vs ≥5 units), and study site. The primary endpoint was the Myelofibrosis Symptom Assessment Form (MFSAF) TSS response rate at week 24 (defined as ≥50% reduction in mean MFSAF TSS over the 28 days immediately before the end of week 24 compared with baseline). MOMENTUM is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04173494, and is active but not recruiting. FINDINGS: 195 patients were randomly assigned to either the momelotinib group (130 [67%]) or danazol group (65 [33%]) and received study treatment in the 24-week randomised treatment period between April 24, 2020, and Dec 3, 2021. A significantly greater proportion of patients in the momelotinib group reported a 50% or more reduction in TSS than in the danazol group (32 [25%] of 130 vs six [9%] of 65; proportion difference 16% [95% CI 6-26], p=0·0095). The most frequent grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events with momelotinib and danazol were haematological abnormalities by laboratory values: anaemia (79 [61%] of 130 vs 49 [75%] of 65) and thrombocytopenia (36 [28%] vs 17 [26%]). The most frequent non-haematological grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events with momelotinib and danazol were acute kidney injury (four [3%] of 130 vs six [9%] of 65) and pneumonia (three [2%] vs six [9%]). INTERPRETATION: Treatment with momelotinib, compared with danazol, resulted in clinically significant improvements in myelofibrosis-associated symptoms, anaemia measures, and spleen response, with favourable safety. These findings support the future use of momelotinib as an effective treatment in patients with myelofibrosis, especially in those with anaemia. FUNDING: Sierra Oncology.

Clinical outcomes in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia treated with ponatinib in routine clinical practice-data from a Belgian registry.

Data on clinical use of ponatinib are limited. This prospective registry aimed to evaluate outcomes of ponatinib treatment in routine practice over 3 years (2016-2019) in Belgium (NCT03678454). Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with ponatinib per current label. Fifty patients (33 CML and 17 Ph+ ALL) were enrolled. Fifty-five percent of CML and 29% of Ph+ ALL patients had received ≥3 prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Reasons for starting ponatinib were intolerance (40%), relapse or refractoriness (28%) to previous TKIs, progression (16%), or T315I mutation (16%). Median follow-up was 15 months for CML and 4.5 months for Ph+ ALL patients. Best response was a major molecular response in 58% of CML and 41% of Ph+ ALL patients. Of 20 patients who started ponatinib due to intolerance to previous TKIs, 9 (64%) CML and 4 (67%) Ph+ ALL achieved a major molecular response. Three-year estimates of overall survival were 85.3% and 85.6%, respectively, in CML and Ph+ ALL patients; estimated progression-free survival was 81.6% and 48.9%. Adverse reactions were reported in 34 patients (68%); rash (26%) and dry skin (10%) were most common. Reported cardiovascular adverse reactions included vascular stenosis (3), arterial hypertension (2), chest pain (1), palpitations (1), and vascular occlusion (1). This Belgian registry confirms results from the PACE clinical trial and supports routine ponatinib use in CML and Ph+ ALL patients who are resistant or intolerant to previous TKIs or with the T315I mutation.

MANIFEST: Pelabresib in Combination With Ruxolitinib for Janus Kinase Inhibitor Treatment-Naïve Myelofibrosis.

PURPOSE: Standard therapy for myelofibrosis comprises Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis), yet spleen response rates of 30%-40%, high discontinuation rates, and a lack of disease modification highlight an unmet need. Pelabresib (CPI-0610) is an investigational, selective oral bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitor (BETi). METHODS: MANIFEST (ClinicalTrails.gov identifier: NCT02158858), a global, open-label, nonrandomized, multicohort, phase II study, includes a cohort of JAKi-naïve patients with myelofibrosis treated with pelabresib and ruxolitinib. The primary end point is a spleen volume reduction of ≥ 35% (SVR35) at 24 weeks. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients received ≥ 1 dose of pelabresib and ruxolitinib. The median age was 68 (range, 37-85) years; 24% of patients were intermediate-1 risk, 61% were intermediate-2 risk, and 16% were high risk as per the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System; 66% (55 of 84) of patients had a hemoglobin level of < 10 g/dL at baseline. At 24 weeks, 68% (57 of 84) achieved SVR35, and 56% (46 of 82) achieved a total symptom score reduction of ≥ 50% (TSS50). Additional benefits at week 24 included 36% (29 of 84) of patients with improved hemoglobin levels (mean, 1.3 g/dL; median, 0.8 g/dL), 28% (16 of 57) with ≥ 1 grade improvement in fibrosis, and 29.5% (13 of 44) with > 25% reduction in JAK2V617F-mutant allele fraction, which was associated with SVR35 response (P = .018, Fisher's exact test). At 48 weeks, 60% (47 of 79) of patients had SVR35 response. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities seen in ≥ 10% patients were thrombocytopenia (12%) and anemia (35%), leading to treatment discontinuation in three patients. 95% (80 of 84) of the study participants continued combination therapy beyond 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: The rational combination of the BETi pelabresib and ruxolitinib in JAKi-naïve patients with myelofibrosis was well tolerated and showed durable improvements in spleen and symptom burden, with associated biomarker findings of potential disease-modifying activity.

Momelotinib versus danazol in symptomatic patients with anaemia and myelofibrosis previously treated with a JAK inhibitor (MOMENTUM): an updated analysis of an international, double-blind, randomised phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND: The MOMENTUM study met all key endpoints at week 24, demonstrating symptom, spleen, and anaemia benefits with momelotinib versus danazol in patients with myelofibrosis. In this updated analysis, we report duration of week 24 responses and new responses with momelotinib through week 48. METHODS: MOMENTUM is an international, double-blind, randomised, phase 3 study done at 107 sites across 21 countries. Patients were 18 years or older with primary, post-polycythaemia vera, or post-essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis, previously treated with an approved Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for 90 days or more (≥28 days with haematological complications), and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or less. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to either the momelotinib group (200 mg orally once per day) or danazol group (300 mg orally twice per day) through week 24 via non-deterministic biased coin minimisation and an interactive response system. Stratification factors were Total Symptom Score (TSS; <22 vs ≥22), spleen size (<12 cm vs ≥12 cm), transfusion burden (0 units vs 1-4 units vs ≥5 units), and study site. After week 24, all patients initially randomly assigned to either group who remained on the study received open-label momelotinib. The primary endpoint, which has already been reported, was Myelofibrosis Symptom Assessment Form TSS response rate at week 24. Predefined secondary endpoints were duration of week 24 TSS and transfusion independence responses, safety, and survival, which are summarised post hoc at the week 48 data cutoff (May 17, 2022). TSS, transfusion independence, and splenic responses at week 48 were defined post hoc and assessed in all evaluable patients who entered the open-label period and provided sufficient data. The timing of this updated analysis was defined post hoc after all patients had the opportunity to complete their week 48 assessments, as most patients entered an extended access study (NCT03441113) after week 48. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04173494, and is now complete. FINDINGS: Between April 24, 2020, and Dec 3, 2021, a total of 195 patients were randomised (130 [67%] in the momelotinib group and 65 [33%] in the danazol group). 93 (72%) of 130 patients in the momelotinib group and 41 (63%) of 65 in the danazol group entered the momelotinib open-label extension period. Median follow-up was 48·4 weeks (IQR 40·6-55·7). Among TSS-evaluable patients at week 48, 30 (45%) of 67 patients in the momelotinib group who continued treatment and 15 (50%) of 30 in the danazol group who crossed over were responders. TSS responders at any time during the open-label period by week 48 were 46 (61%) of 75 evaluable patients in the momelotinib group who continued and 19 (59%) of 32 in the danazol group who crossed over, including most week 24 responders plus new responders after week 24. No new safety signals emerged with long-term follow-up. The most common non-haematological treatment-emergent adverse events in momelotinib-treated patients over the entire study period as of the data cutoff were diarrhoea (45 [26%] of 171) and asthenia (28 [16%]); the most common grades 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events were thrombocytopenia (33 [19%]) and anaemia (19 [11%]). Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 79 (46%) of 171 patients, and fatal treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 30 (18%); two fatal treatment-emergent adverse events were considered possibly related to momelotinib (rotaviral enteritis and Staphylococcus pneumonia). INTERPRETATION: Momelotinib was associated with durable symptom, spleen, and anaemia benefits, late responses after week 24, and favourable safety through week 48. These results highlight the potential benefits of treatment with momelotinib in patients with myelofibrosis, particularly those with anaemia. FUNDING: Sierra Oncology, a GSK company.

Updated recommendations on the use of ruxolitinib for the treatment of myelofibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: Myelofibrosis is a rare bone marrow disorder associated with a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and shortened survival. While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for myelofibrosis, the only approved and reimbursed pharmacotherapy for non-HSCT candidates in Belgium is ruxolitinib. METHODS: These updated recommendations are based on a consensus reached during two meetings and provide guidance for ruxolitinib administration in myelofibrosis patients considering the particularities of Belgian reimbursement criteria. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In Belgium, ruxolitinib is indicated and reimbursed for transplant-ineligible myelofibrosis patients from intermediate-2- and high-risk groups and from the intermediate-1-risk group with splenomegaly. Our recommendation is to also make ruxolitinib available in the pre-transplant setting for myelofibrosis patients with splenomegaly or heavy symptom burden. Before ruxolitinib initiation, complete blood cell counts are recommended, and the decision on the optimal dosage should be based on platelet count and clinical parameters. In anemic patients, we recommend starting doses of ruxolitinib of 10 mg twice daily for 12 weeks and we propose the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in patients with endogenous erythropoietin levels ≤500 mU/mL. Increased vigilance for opportunistic infections and second primary malignancies is needed in ruxolitinib-treated myelofibrosis patients. Ruxolitinib treatment should be continued as long as there is clinical benefit (reduced splenomegaly or symptoms), and we recommend progressive dose tapering when stopping ruxolitinib. CONCLUSION: Based on new data and clinical experience, the panel of experts discussed ruxolitinib treatment in Belgian myelofibrosis patients with a focus on dose optimization/monitoring, adverse events, and interruption/rechallenge management.

Adult acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia presenting as hypercalcemia and osteolytic bone lesions.

BACKGROUND: Osteolytic bone lesions and hypercalcemia without peripheral blasts B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is reported in children but rarely seen in adults. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 34-year old man presenting with hypercalcemia and symptomatic osteolytic bone lesions of vertebrae and ribs who was initially suspected as having a solid malignancy. Diagnostic work-up including peripheral blood examination, radiographic and nuclear studies could, however, not detect a primary tumor. Because of a mild thrombocytopenia and the lack of a primary focus, a bone marrow biopsy was performed leading to the diagnosis of Philadelphia chromosome positive precursor B-ALL. After correction of the hypercalcemia with intravenous fluid administration, corticoids and bisphosphonates, the patient was treated according to the HOVON 100 protocol achieving complete molecular remission after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Hypercalcemia and osteolytic bone lesions are rare complications of adult B-ALL and can occur in the absence of peripheral blastosis. With this case report we would like to emphasize the importance of clinical awareness. Immediate treatment of hypercalcemia and initiation of antileukemic treatment is mandatory as a delay of diagnosis might pose a real and possible life-threatening risk in these patients.