Novartis’ INC424 meets endpoint in myelofibrosis study

Novartis has published positive data from a phase III clinical trial evaluating its Janus kinase inhibitor INC424 as a treatment for myelofibrosis.

Results from the Comfort-II study have shown that Novartis' investigational drug was able to deliver a statistically significant reduction in spleen size among patients with primary, post-polycythaemia vera or post-essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis.

The data illustrated INC424's superior efficacy to best available therapy options and reinforces findings from a previous phase III clinical study, which compared the compound to placebo.

Findings from these two investigations will support the worldwide regulatory filings for the drug that are being planned by Novartis for the second quarter of 2011.

Herve Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, said: "INC424 illustrates our mission to turn the promise of innovative, pathway-based compounds into the reality of therapies for patients with unmet medical needs."

Last month, the company was granted a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use for Rasilamlo, a new combination treatment for high blood pressure.