Pacritinib, sold under the brand name Vonjo, is an

anti-cancer medication Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a cu ...

used to treat

myelofibrosis Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a rare bone marrow blood cancer. It is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm, a group of cancers in which there is activation and growth of mutated cells in ...

. It is a

macrocyclic Macrocycles are often described as molecules and ions containing a ring of twelve or more atoms. Classical examples include the crown ethers, calixarenes, porphyrins, and cyclodextrins. Macrocycles describe a large, mature area of chemistry. ...

protein kinase inhibitor A protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) is a type of enzyme inhibitor that blocks the action of one or more protein kinases. Protein kinases are enzymes that phosphorylate (add a phosphate, or PO4, group) to a protein and can modulate its function. The ...

. It mainly inhibits

Janus kinase 2 Janus kinase 2 (commonly called JAK2) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase. It is a member of the Janus kinase family and has been implicated in signaling by members of the type II cytokine receptor family (e.g. interferon receptors), the GM-CS ...

(JAK2) and Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3\CD135 (FLT3). Common side effects include diarrhea, low platelet counts, nausea, anemia, and swelling in legs.

Medical uses

Pacritinib in

indicated In medicine, an indication is a valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery. There can be multiple indications to use a procedure or medication. An indication can commonly be confused with the term diagnosis. A diagnosis ...

to treat adults who have a rare form of a bone marrow disorder known as intermediate or high-risk primary or secondary myelofibrosis and who have platelet (blood clotting cells) levels below 50,000/μL.

History

The effectiveness and safety of pacritinib were demonstrated in a study that included 63 participants with intermediate or high-risk primary or secondary myelofibrosis and low platelets who received pacritinib 200mg twice daily or standard treatment. Effectiveness was determined based upon the proportion of participants who had a 35% or greater spleen volume reduction from baseline to week 24. Nine participants (29%) in the pacritinib treatment group had a 35% or greater spleen volume reduction, compared to one participant (3%) in the standard treatment group. The U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) granted the application for pacritinib

priority review Priority review is a program of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite the review process for drugs that are expected to have a particularly great impact on the treatment of a disease. The priority review voucher program ...

fast track Fast Track, Fast track, or Fasttrack may refer to: Processes and systems * Fast track (FDA), a U.S. Food and Drug Administration expedited review program * Fast track (trade), the authority of the U.S. President to broker trade agreements with lim ...

, and

orphan drug An orphan drug is a medication, pharmaceutical agent that is developed to treat certain rare medical conditions. An orphan drug would not be profitable to produce without government assistance, due to the small population of patients affected by th ...

designations.

Society and culture

Names

Pacritinib is the International nonproprietary name (INN).

References

External links

* Aminopyrimidines Ethers Antineoplastic drugs Non-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors Orphan drugs 1-Pyrrolidinyl compounds Oxygen heterocycles Nitrogen heterocycles Ethanolamines {{antineoplastic-drug-stub