FDA approves new drug to treat rare blood cancer myelofibrosis
Mays Cancer Center Annual Report
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first new medication in nearly a decade for patients with myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer.
Ruben Mesa, M.D., FACP, director of the Mays Cancer Center, was part of the international research team that led development of the new drug.
Due to the drug’s effectiveness in treating myelofibrosis, fedratinib (brand name Inrebic) is being studied to see if it may also be beneficial for patients with other blood cancers, inflammatory diseases and possibly, one day, for diseases related to aging or that involve blood clots, such as heart attacks or stroke.
The FDA approved fedratinib for adults with intermediate-2 or high-risk primary or secondary myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis is a blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow, where red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are made.
