What is some of the most promising research being done to treat myelofibrosis?
There is a lot of research happening in myelofibrosis, and I think the most exciting thing is actually that we're taking these backbone JAK inhibitors that really help with symptoms and combining them with therapies that block other pathways and potentially can arrest those abnormal stem cells and kill them.
There are lots of combinations right now that are looking pretty promising. The big combinations are things called BET inhibitors, and then there are drugs like Navitoclax which is used in other cancers. There's also completely new drugs called telomerase inhibitors that are holding a lot of promise. And it's just super, super exciting in terms of the research that's happening.
A mainstay of treatment have been JAK inhibitors. And these medications really focused on improving symptoms and decreasing the size of the spleen, and the spleen being enlarged as part of the symptoms as well. Now there's combination therapies with these JAK inhibitors that are more effective at making patients feel better quicker and decreasing the size of the spleen quicker.
Not yet approved, but in development and a lot of data and research that has been published is showing that these are promising additions to therapy.
HealthTree • July 22, 2024