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FDA Approves Jakafi to Treat Myelofibrosis
Posted 17 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
November 16, 2011 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Jakafi (ruxolitinib), the first drug approved to specifically treat patients with the bone marrow disease myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis is a disease in which the bone marrow is replaced by scar tissue resulting in blood cells being made in organs such as the liver and the spleen. This disease is marked by an enlarged spleen, anemia, decreased white blood cells and platelets, and myelofibrosis-related symptoms. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal discomfort, pain under the ribs, feeling full (satiety), muscle and bone pain, itching, and night sweats. Jakafi, a pill taken two times a day, inhibits enzymes called JAK 1 and 2 (Janus Associated Kinase) that are involved in regulating blood and immunological functioning. Myelofibrosis is associated with the deregulation of JAK 1 and 2. “Jakafi represents another e ... Read more
Related support groups: Myeloproliferative Disorders
Experimental Drug Fights Bone Marrow Cancers
Posted 9 Dec 2008 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Dec. 9 – An experimental drug called CYT387 blocks an enzyme that causes bone marrow cancers called myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs), according to U.S. researchers who conducted tests in mice and human cells. The findings were to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, in San Francisco. The researchers, from Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute, found that CYT387 was "very effective" against a specific type of cancer cell driven by an enzyme mutation called JAK2-V617F. The drug binds to the V617F mutation in the JAK2 enzyme. "In the mouse model, the drug blocked JAK2-V617F, normalized blood counts and reduced enlarged spleens back to a normal size. It is a very promising compound," researcher Dr. Thomas Bumm said in a university news release. There are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted ... Read more
Related support groups: Myeloproliferative Disorders
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