Dr. Mascarenhas on the Significance of Pacritinib in Myelofibrosis

John O. Mascarenhas, MD, an associate professor of medicine, hematology, and medical oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses thepotentialsignificance of pacritinib in patients with myelofibrosis.

Pacritinib is an important potential agent in this patient population, as it's the 1 JAK2 inhibitor that appears to cause the least amount of myelosuppression, Mascarenhas explains, especially in relation to thrombocytopenia. Patients who have a platelet count below 50,000, defined as severe thrombocytopenia, are an unmet need within the space; the current JAK inhibitors that are approved in myelofibrosis cannot be safely administered to this patient population, he adds.

This patient population is typified by a myelodepleted phenotype. While they don't always have enlarged spleens, they are typically characterized by low blood counts and poor outcomes, Mascarenhas concludes.