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Upgrades in Understanding Therapeutic Strategies for Graft-Versus-Host Disease

An educational enduring online activity provided by i3 Health has provided efficiency and knowledge gains encompassing the evolving landscape of therapeutic strategies for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Graft-versus-host disease is a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), affecting between 40% and 60% of patients and accounting for 15% of posttransplant mortality. Acute GVHD is the second-leading cause of transplant-related mortality and typically targets the sk...

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Ibrutinib Approved for Pediatric Patients With Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

The FDA has approved ibrutinib (Imbruvica®, Pharmacyclics LLC) for treatment of pediatric patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) following failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy. "Pediatric cGVHD, a potentially debilitating, life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, has limited treatment options," wrote Marco Zecca, MD, Director of the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Italy, ...

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FDA Approves Ruxolitinib for Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

The FDA has approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi®, Incyte) for adult and pediatric patients 12 year of age and older with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy."Chronic graft-versus-host disease, a major complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, becomes glucocorticoid-refractory or glucocorticoid-dependent in approximately 50% of patients," wrote Robert Zeiser, MD, Professor and Head of the Tumor Immunology and Immune Modulation at th...

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FDA Approves Belumosudil for Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

The FDA has granted approval to belumosudil (Rezurock™, Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, LLC), for adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after failure of at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. "Belumosudil (KD025) is a novel oral selective Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor specifically designed for the treatment of chronic GVHD," wrote Corey S. Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Medical Director of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation...

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A Means to Avoid Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Leukemia

Researchers have found a potential way to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious and sometimes fatal complication of the allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants used to treat leukemia. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants succeed in fighting leukemia when donated T cells—the immune system's "killer cells," which attack unhealthy cells—attack the cancer cells. Through what is known as graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity, these donated T cells work to prevent disease relapse. ...

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Ruxolitinib Approved for Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

​The FDA has approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi®, Incyte Corporation), a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in adults and in children age 12 and older. Graft-versus-host disease is a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a procedure involving the transfer of stem cells from a healthy donor to a patient with a hematologic malignancy following high-intensity chemotherapy or radiation. In GVHD, the donat...

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Ruxolitinib for Steroid-Refractory Acute GVHD: An Interview With Corey S. Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Recently, the FDA approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi®, Incyte Corporation), a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). A potentially life-threatening condition, GVHD is a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a treatment for hematologic malignancies that is administered following high-intensity chemotherapy or radiation. In this interview with i3 Health, Corey S. Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Medical Director of...

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