Dr. Verstovsek on the Tolerability of Momelotinib in Myelofibrosis

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, professor, director, Hanns A. Pielenz Clinical Research Center for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, chief, Section for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the tolerability of momelotinib in myelofibrosis.

Initial findings from the phase 3 MOMENTUM trial (NCT04173494), which is comparing momelotinib with danazol in patients with myelofibrosis, have shown that momelotinib is well tolerated. Moreover, patients who received momelotinib had numerically fewer grade 3 or higher adverse effects compared with those who received danazol. This is notable because danazol, an anabolic steroid, is known to confer limited toxicities to patients, Verstovsek says.

As such, momelotinib could be easily combined with other drugs because it is unlikely it would be associated with overlapping gastrointestinal, neurological, or myelosuppressive toxicities, Verstovsek explains. The agent is expected to be combined with a BRD4 BET inhibitor called AZD5153 in an upcoming clinical trial. BET inhibitors are thought to be active in epigenetically modified myelofibrosis, so combining the agent with momelotinib is an ideal next step in this paradigm, Verstovsek concludes.