FDA approves CTI BioPharma's bone marrow cancer drug (updated)

CTI Biopharma

01/03/2022 01:02

(Adds details, background)
    Feb 28 (Reuters) - CTI BioPharma Corp  CTIC.O  said on
Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its
drug for treating adult patients with a type of bone marrow
cancer who also have low blood platelet count.
    The drug, Vonjo (pacritinib), belongs to a class of
anti-inflammatory treatments called JAK inhibitors, and will
compete with Incyte Corp's  INCY.O  Jakafi and Bristol Myers'
 BMY.N  Inrebic, which were approved in 2011 and 2019
respectively for treating Myelofibrosis.
    Myelofibrosis causes extensive scarring in the bone marrow
and disrupts the body's production of blood cells, causing low
platelet count, anemia, weakness, fatigue and often swelling of
the liver and spleen.
    Incyte expects to generate revenue of $2.3 billion-$2.4
billion in U.S. sales alone, while Inrebic, which was acquired
by Bristol after it bought Celgene in 2019, generated about $74
million in sales last year.  
    In a late-stage study in patients with severe
thrombocytopenia who were treated with CTI Biopharma's drug
twice a day, 29% of patients had a reduction in spleen volume,
compared to 3% of patients receiving the best available therapy,
which included Jakafi.
    The company said the drug was approved under priority and
the approval has triggered $60 million payment from DRI
Healthcare Trust.

 (Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Rachna Dhanrajani in Bengaluru;
Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri, Uttaresh.V and Subhranshu
Sahu)
 ((RachnaManojkumar.Dhanrajani@thomsonreuters.com;))