Dr. Mascarenhas on the Potential Role of Pacritinib in MPNs

John O. Mascarenhas, MD, associate professor of medicine, hematology, and medical oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; director of the Adult Leukemia Program; and leader of Clinical Investigation within the Myeloproliferative Disorders Program at Mount Sinai, and a member of the Tisch Cancer Institute, discusses the potential role of pacritinib in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

Pacritinib is an investigational JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor, which demonstrated early efficacy and safety in patients with MPNs. According to Mascarenhas, the agent may have utility as frontline therapy for JAK-inhibitor naïve patients who have a platelet count less than 50,000/L.

Additionally, pacritinib could be utilized in the second-line setting for patients who develop low platelet counts after stopping ruxolitinib (Jakafi) as these patients tend to have poorer outcomes, Mascarenhas says.

Also, pacritinib appears to be less myelosuppressive than other JAK2 inhibitors, which suggests it could be used in combination with other investigational non-JAK inhibitors, adds Mascarenhas.

Notably, pacritinib also inhibits the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1, which triggers inflammasomes. As such, the agent is also being evaluated as a potential treatment for patients with the coronavirus disease 2019, concludes Mascarenhas.