Real-world analysis of main clinical outcomes in patients with polycythemia vera treated with ruxolitinib or best available therapy after developing resistance/intolerance to hydroxyurea

Background: Ruxolitinib is approved for patients with polycythemia vera (PV) who are resistant/intolerant to hydroxyurea, but its impact on preventing thrombosis or disease-progression is unknown. Methods: A retrospective, real-world analysis was performed on the outcomes of 377 patients with resistance/intolerance to hydroxyurea from the Spanish Registry of Polycythemia Vera according to subsequent treatment with ruxolitinib (n = 105) or the best available therapy (BAT; n = 272). Survival probabilities and rates of thrombosis, hemorrhage, acute myeloid leukemia, myelofibrosis, and second primary cancers were calculated according to treatment. To minimize biases in treatment allocation, all results were adjusted by a propensity score for receiving ruxolitinib or BAT. Results: Patients receiving ruxolitinib had a significantly lower rate of arterial thrombosis than those on BAT (0.4% vs 2.3% per year; P = .03), and this persisted as a trend after adjustment for the propensity to have received the drug (incidence rate ratio, 0.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-1.3; P = .09). There were no significant differences in the rates of venous thrombosis (0.8% and 1.1% for ruxolitinib and BAT, respectively; P = .7) and major bleeding (0.8% and 0.9%, respectively; P = .9). Ruxolitinib exposure was not associated with a higher rate of second primary cancers, including all types of neoplasia, noncutaneous cancers, and nonmelanoma skin cancers. After a median follow-up of 3.5 years, there were no differences in survival or progression to acute leukemia or myelofibrosis between the 2 groups. Conclusions: The results suggest that ruxolitinib treatment for PV patients with resistance/intolerance to hydroxyurea may reduce the incidence of arterial thrombosis. Lay summary: Ruxolitinib is better than other available therapies in achieving hematocrit control and symptom relief in patients with polycythemia vera who are resistant/intolerant to hydroxyurea, but we still do not know whether ruxolitinib provides an additional benefit in preventing thrombosis or disease progression. We retrospectively studied the outcomes of 377 patients with resistance/intolerance to hydroxyurea from the Spanish Registry of Polycythemia Vera according to whether they subsequently received ruxolitinib (n = 105) or the best available therapy (n = 272). Our findings suggest that ruxolitinib could reduce the incidence of arterial thrombosis, but a disease-modifying effect could not be demonstrated for ruxolitinib in this patient population

Blood cell activation in myeloproliferative neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms are characterized by overproduction of mature blood cells and increased risk of thromboembolic complications. However, the molecular lesions associated with these disorders also activate circulating blood cells. In this perspective article, Dr. Cervantes and his colleagues examine the role of blood cell activation in the pathophysiology of thrombosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms. See related article on page 1537

Rituximab is an effective and safe therapeutic alternative in adults with refractory and severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia

International audienceRituximab-induced B-cell depletion has been proven to be a useful therapy for autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of rituximab in the treatment of 36 patients with AIHA refractory to several treatments. These patients had received a median of four (one to eight) previous treatments, and 13 patients had undergone splenectomy. Rituximab was administered by intravenous infusion at a dose of 375 mg/m once weekly for four doses in 29 patients, and 7 patients received one to six doses. Overall, 28 (77%) of 36 patients achieved response. Twenty-two patients (61%) reached a complete response (CR), and 6 patients (16%) obtained a partial response. All patients that reached CR (61%) were able to maintain the response during more than 6 months, with a median follow-up of 14 months (1–86 months). Sixteen patients maintained response for more than 1 year. The predictors of maintained response were achievement of CR and negative Coombs test result. Splenectomized patients showed a better response rate than those nonsplenectomized. Rituximab was well tolerated, and only one patient presented a transitory rash during infusion. Rituximab induced clinical responses in multitreated severe refractory both warm and cold AIHA patients with little toxicity, and consequently, this therapy should be considered as an early therapeutic option in this setting