All content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals only. By acknowledging this message and accessing the information on this website you are confirming that you are a Healthcare Professional.
The gvhd Hub website uses a third-party service provided by Google that dynamically translates web content. Translations are machine generated, so may not be an exact or complete translation, and the gvhd Hub cannot guarantee the accuracy of translated content. The gvhd and its employees will not be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages (even if foreseeable) resulting from use of the Google Translate feature. For further support with Google Translate, visit Google Translate Help.
The GvHD Hub is an independent medical education platform, sponsored by Medac and supported through grants from Sanofi and Therakos. The funders are allowed no direct influence on our content. The levels of sponsorship listed are reflective of the amount of funding given. View funders.
Now you can support HCPs in making informed decisions for their patients
Your contribution helps us continuously deliver expertly curated content to HCPs worldwide. You will also have the opportunity to make a content suggestion for consideration and receive updates on the impact contributions are making to our content.
Find out moreCreate an account and access these new features:
Bookmark content to read later
Select your specific areas of interest
View gvhd content recommended for you
After allogeneic-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), 50–70% of patients develop acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), which accounts for approximately 10% of non-relapse mortality (NRM). First-line treatment for aGvHD often involves corticosteroids; however, corticosteroid-refractory aGvHD (SR-aGvHD) can develop. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the Janus kinase (JAK) pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of aGvHD as JAK1/2 inhibition prevents the production of various cytokines, and consequently, the differentiation, proliferation, and trafficking of T cells.1
Ruxolitinib, an oral selective JAK1/2 inhibitor, is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of SR-aGvHD. However, newer preclinical studies have shown that specific targeting of JAK1 may abrogate the cytokine signaling involved in GvHD pathogenesis, without inducing cytopenias that are caused by the co-inhibition of JAK2 signaling. As such, itacitinib, a selective JAK1 inhibitor that has shown preclinical activity in aGvHD models, was investigated in an open-label, phase I trial.1
Mark A. Schroeder from the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, US, and colleagues evaluated the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of itacitinib in combination with corticosteroids in patients with treatment-naïve or SR-aGvHD. The results were recently published in Blood Advances.1
Table 1. Patients characteristics1
CIBMTR, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research; ECOG PS, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status; GI, gastrointestinal; GvHD, graft-versus-host disease |
|
Characteristic |
Patients (N = 29) |
---|---|
Age, median (range), years |
51 (18–71) |
Sex, male/female, % |
69/31 |
Race, % |
|
White |
82.8 |
African American |
6.9 |
Asian |
6.9 |
Other |
3.4 |
ECOG PS, % |
|
0 |
6.9 |
1 |
44.8 |
2 |
44.8 |
3 |
3.4 |
GvHD organ involvement, % |
|
Lower GI tract |
58.6 |
Upper GI tract |
31.0 |
Skin |
44.8 |
Liver |
17.2 |
Isolated skin |
20.7 |
Skin + upper GI |
6.9 |
> 1 organ involved |
89.7 |
≥ 2 organs involved |
48.3 |
GvHD Minnesota grade, % |
|
II–IV |
96.6 |
III/IV |
62.1 |
GvHD CIBMTR grade, % |
|
B–D |
96.6 |
C/D |
58.6 |
Table 2. Hematological and non-hematological TEAEs1
TEAE, treatment-emergent adverse event *Occurring in > five patients †Including patients with GI GvHD ‡Thrombocytopenia and decreased platelet count were mutually exclusive in this data set. Decreased platelet count was chosen in cases of laboratory decreases; thrombocytopenia was chosen as a clinical diagnosis. |
||||
Itacitinib dose |
200 mg (n = 14) |
300 mg (n = 15) |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
TEAE* |
Grade 3/4 |
All grades |
Grade 3/4 |
All grades |
Non-hematological, % |
|
|
|
|
Diarrhea† |
28.6 |
57.1 |
13.3 |
40.0 |
Peripheral edema |
0.0 |
28.6 |
6.7 |
60.0 |
Abdominal pain |
14.3 |
42.9 |
6.7 |
33.3 |
Hypokalemia |
28.6 |
42.9 |
20.0 |
33.3 |
Hyperglycemia |
21.4 |
42.9 |
26.7 |
26.7 |
Fatigue |
28.6 |
28.6 |
0.0 |
33.3 |
Decreased appetite |
14.3 |
21.4 |
6.7 |
33.3 |
Tachycardia |
14.3 |
42.9 |
0.0 |
13.3 |
Headache |
0.0 |
35.7 |
0.0 |
13.3 |
Hypoalbuminemia |
21.4 |
28.6 |
6.7 |
20.0 |
Hypophosphatemia |
21.4 |
28.6 |
13.3 |
20.0 |
Nausea |
0.0 |
35.7 |
6.7 |
13.3 |
Vomiting |
0.0 |
35.7 |
6.7 |
13.3 |
Arthralgia |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
40.0 |
Fall |
0.0 |
28.6 |
0.0 |
13.3 |
Hypertension |
0.0 |
7.1 |
26.7 |
33.3 |
Hypogammaglobulinemia |
0.0 |
28.6 |
0.0 |
13.3 |
Edema |
7.1 |
21.4 |
0.0 |
20.0 |
Pyrexia |
0.0 |
28.6 |
0.0 |
13.3 |
Hematological‡, % |
|
|
|
|
Anemia |
35.7 |
35.7 |
33.3 |
40.0 |
Decreased platelet count |
14.3 |
14.3 |
40.0 |
40.0 |
Thrombocytopenia |
14.3 |
21.4 |
20.0 |
26.7 |
References
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:
The content was clear and easy to understand
The content addressed the learning objectives
The content was relevant to my practice
I will change my clinical practice as a result of this content