Andrew Kuykendall, MD

Articles

Initial Treatment Strategies for Polycythemia Vera

December 23rd 2024

Panelists discuss how they approach the evaluation and diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV), including key clinical manifestations, and how they assess disease risk to determine initial treatment strategies based on NCCN guidelines, considering factors that differentiate low-risk from high-risk PV.

Clinical Insights on Managing Ruxolitinib Cytopenias: Patient-Focused Approach

December 18th 2024

Panelists discuss the patient and disease characteristics influencing the decision to dose-reduce ruxolitinib vs switching therapy. They share their typical sequencing approach after first-line ruxolitinib, including whether a washout period or overlap is required.

Challenges With Defining “Ruxolitinib Failure” or Suboptimal Response to Ruxolitinib in MF

December 11th 2024

Panelists discuss how they define “ruxolitinib failure” and a suboptimal response, when they consider switching from first-line ruxolitinib, and how they differentiate between myelofibrosis-induced and JAK-induced cytopenias.

Dr Kuykendall on the Advantages of Treatment With Momelotinib in Myelofibrosis

December 10th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, discusses the advantages of treatment with momelotinib vs older-generation JAK inhibitors in myelofibrosis.

Tackling Complex Clinical Scenarios: MF Patients With Thrombocytopenia and Anemia

December 4th 2024

Panelists discuss the latest data on pacritinib’s effects on anemia and bicytopenia, and share their treatment approaches for patients with myelofibrosis who present with both thrombocytopenia and anemia.

Clinical Perspectives: Firstline Treatment Landscape in Higher-Risk MF

November 27th 2024

Panelists discuss how frequently patients with newly diagnosed myelofibrosis present with moderate or severe thrombocytopenia or both anemia and thrombocytopenia. They discuss how these factors and other disease characteristics like spleen size and constitutional symptoms influence their treatment approach and selection of JAK inhibitors.

Emerging Treatments for Myelofibrosis

April 10th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, and Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, conclude that the increasing complexity in myelofibrosis treatment options, including multiple JAK inhibitors and emerging combination therapies, signals an exciting era of individualized care, yet underscores the need for reevaluating study end points to enhance patient outcomes further.

Individualizing Therapy Goals for Patients With Myelofibrosis

April 10th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, emphasizes the importance of individualizing therapy for patients with myelofibrosis, focusing on improving quality of life and addressing specific issues like anemia and spleen volume, with the understanding that these treatments are palliative and goals should be revisited regularly.

Selection and Sequencing of JAK Inhibitors for Patients With MF

April 3rd 2024

Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, discusses choosing among JAK inhibitors based on specific patient needs, such as platelet counts and anemia, emphasizing the importance of using the full dose for best efficacy and how different scenarios might influence the choice and sequencing of these drugs in practice.

The FREEDOM-2 Trial: Efficacy and Safety of Fedratinib in Patients With MF Previously Treated With Ruxolitinib

April 3rd 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, discusses the efficacy and adverse effects of fedratinib, highlighting its potential in the second-line setting for patients resistant to ruxolitinib, with updates from FREEDOM-2 emphasizing manageable gastrointestinal tolerability concerns.

Key Efficacy and Safety Takeaways From Recent Data on JAK Inhibitors for MF

March 27th 2024

Drs Rampal and Kuykendall highlight the benefits of pacritinib for patients with low platelet counts, as evidenced by the PERSIST-2 study, and momelotinib for patients with anemia, as shown in the MOMENTUM Phase 3 Study, focusing on their efficacy in spleen volume reduction and symptom relief in patients with myelofibrosis.

Future Directions in Combination Therapies for Myelofibrosis

March 27th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, and Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, reflect on the future of combination therapies in treating myelofibrosis, emphasizing the need to align study endpoints with treatment goals and highlighting the potential of various combinations based on promising preclinical and early phase study results.

Luspatercept With or Without Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Anemia in Patients With MF: Data From ACE-536-MF-001

March 20th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, and Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, discuss luspatercept with or without ruxolitinib for the treatment of anemia in patients with myelofibrosis. The combination has demonstrated promise in reducing transfusion dependency, as seen in data from ACE-536-MF-001, with ongoing phase 3 trials.

Selinexor Plus Ruxolitinib in JAK Inhibitor-Naïve Patients: Updated Results From XPORT-MF-034

March 20th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, highlights the potential of selinexor plus ruxolitinib in JAK inhibitor-naïve patients with MF based on promising response rates in XPORT-MF-034 updated results, with plans for a phase 3 study. He also noted the need to manage nausea as a adverse effect.

Navtemadlin Plus Ruxolitinib for Patients With MF who had Suboptimal Responses to Ruxolitinib

March 13th 2024

Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, discusses promising data on navtemadlin plus ruxolitinib for patients with myelofibrosis who had suboptimal responses to ruxolitinib, showing significant improvements in spleen and symptom responses, with further phase 3 studies anticipated.

Navitoclax Plus Ruxolitinib for Untreated MF: Data From TRANSFORM-1

March 13th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, reviews data from TRANSFORM-1 on navitoclax plus ruxolitinib for untreated myelofibrosis, highlighting consistent response rates, no significant symptom improvement with the combination, and challenges managing thrombocytopenia caused by navitoclax, despite its activity and potential as a second-line treatment option.

Pelabresib Plus Ruxolitinib for JAK Inhibitor-Naïve Patients: Data From MANIFEST and MANIFEST-2

March 6th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, and Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, discuss how the combination of the BET inhibitor pelabresib and the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib led to greater reductions in spleen size and symptoms compared to ruxolitinib alone in JAK inhibitor-naïve patients with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis in the MANIFEST and MANIFEST-2 trials, with an acceptable safety profile, providing evidence that targeting multiple inflammatory pathways could lead to better disease control.

How JAK Inhibitors Have Shaped the Landscape of MF

March 6th 2024

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, and Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, discuss how JAK inhibitors have reduced spleen size (splenomegaly) and constitutional symptoms like fatigue and fever in patients with myelofibrosis but that there is still room for improvement in treating other aspects of the disease like anemia and bone marrow fibrosis. They also share insights about the potential for combination therapies that target multiple pathways.

Future of MF

February 16th 2024

Experts discuss how treatments, either monotherapy or combination, may impact the treatment landscape for MF and how they might choose among the new agents.

Combination Therapies for MF Management

February 9th 2024

Panel experts comment on the role of combination therapies in MF and debate if these therapies will be the new standard of care.