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Video: Researchers ‘eagerly await’ final data on pegylated interferon for myeloproliferative neoplasms

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SAN DIEGO — Aaron T. Gerds, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, discusses the interim results of a trial that compared first-line pegylated interferon alpha-2a with hydroxyurea for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, conducted by the Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Consortium and presented at the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

“This study is important on a number of levels. One, it emphasizes the importance of the Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Consortium (MPD-RC) itself,” Gerds said. “This is an international collaboration of investigators of myeloproliferative neoplasms who have come together to answer difficult questions in this patient population.”

The randomized phase 3 MPD-RC 112 trial — conducted by John O. Mascarenhas, MD, MS, of Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues — compared the clinical response and tolerability of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PEG) with frontline hydroxyurea in treatment-naive patients with high-risk, newly diagnosed polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

Overall response rate was 81% in patients treated with PEG compared with 69% in those who received hydroxyurea. However, only 13 patients who received hydroxyurea and 10 patients who received PEG demonstrated a complete hematologic response.

Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 14% of the hydroxyurea arm and 44% of the PEG arm.

Conversely, patients on the PEG arm experienced superior symptom relief compared with those who received hydroxyurea; however, that difference decreased over time “perhaps due to the increase in toxicity and side effects from PEG,” Gerds said.

“These were some interesting early results from the interim analysis on this pivotal phase 3 study, which makes us only more eagerly await the final results,” he added. – by Kristie L. Kahl

Reference:

Mascarenhas JO, et al. Abstract 479. Presented at: ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition; Dec. 3-6, 2016; San Diego.

Disclosures: Gerds reports no relevant financial disclosures.