Compassionate Use of Ropeginterferon-Alfa-2b/P1101 for Treatment of High Risk Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia Patients Previously Controlled on Pegylated Interferon-Alfa-2a/Pegasys(R)

Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) associated with morbidity and mortality resulting from thrombosis or transformation to myelofibrosis and/or secondary acute leukemia. The acquired somatic mutation JAK2V617Fhas been observed in 98% of PV patients, and around 50% of ET patients. Interferon is known to be an effective treatment for chronic MPNs, but unlike hydroxyurea (HU, Hydrea®), it has been shown to target the malignant clone by decreasing JAK2V617Fallelic burden, and in some patients restoring polyclonal hematopoiesis. (Liu et al, Blood. 2003;101:3294-3301). The covalent binding of polyethylene glycol to the interferon molecule, through pegylation, prolongs the half-life by lowering the clearance of interferon, thereby extending the duration of its therapeutic effects, permitting less frequent administration and fewer side-effects. Currently, there are two commercially available pegylated interferons in the U.S., peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron®, Merck) and peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys®, PEG, Roche), both with heterogeneous pegylation with multiple pegylation sites. Ropeginterferon-alfa 2b/P1101 (ROPEG) is a novel longer acting mono-pegylated recombinant proline-interferon alfa-2b which has shown good efficacy in PV and has successfully completed a phase III trial in PV patients comparing it against HU (PROUD-PV study) in Europe (ASH2016 Abstract; Blood. 2016;128:475).Earlier, we had enr...
Source: Blood - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: 634. Myeloproliferative Syndromes: Clinical Source Type: research