Source: European Medicines Agency (EU) Revision Year: 2022 Publisher: Novartis Europharm Limited, Vista Building, Elm Park, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, Ireland
Jakavi is indicated for the treatment of disease-related splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients with primary myelofibrosis (also known as chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis), post polycythaemia vera myelofibrosis or post essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis.
Jakavi is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with polycythaemia vera who are resistant to or intolerant of hydroxyurea.
Jakavi is indicated for the treatment of adults and paediatric patients aged 28 days and older with acute graft versus host disease who have inadequate response to corticosteroids or other systemic therapies (see section 5.1).
Jakavi is indicated for the treatment of adults and paediatric patients aged 6 months and older with chronic graft versus host disease who have inadequate response to corticosteroids or other systemic therapies (see section 5.1).
Jakavi treatment should only be initiated by a physician experienced in the administration of anti-cancer medicinal products.
A complete blood cell count, including a white blood cell count differential, must be performed before initiating therapy with Jakavi.
Complete blood count, including a white blood cell count differential, should be monitored every 2 to 4 weeks until Jakavi doses are stabilised, and then as clinically indicated (see section 4.4).
The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in MF is based on platelet counts (see Table 1):
Table 1. Starting doses in myelofibrosis:
| Platelet count | Starting dose |
| Greater than 200 000/mm³ | 20 mg twice daily |
| 100 000 to 200 000/mm³ | 15 mg twice daily |
| 75 000 to less than 100 000/mm³ | 10 mg twice daily |
| 50 000 to less than 75 000/mm³ | 5 mg twice daily |
The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in PV is 10 mg twice daily.
The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in acute and chronic GvHD is based on age (see Tables 2 and 3):
Table 2. Starting doses in acute graft versus host disease:
| Age group | Starting dose |
| 12 years old and above | 10 mg twice daily |
| 6 years to less than 12 years old | 5 mg twice daily |
| 28 days to less than 6 years old | 8 mg/m² twice daily |
Table 3. Starting doses in chronic graft versus host disease:
| Age group | Starting dose |
| 12 years old and above | 10 mg twice daily |
| 6 years to less than 12 years old | 5 mg twice daily |
| 6 months to less than 6 years old | 8 mg/m² twice daily |
These starting doses in GvHD can be administered using either the tablet for patients who can swallow tablets whole or the oral solution.
Jakavi can be added to corticosteroids and/or calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs).
Doses may be titrated based on efficacy and safety.
If efficacy is considered insufficient and blood counts are adequate, doses may be increased by a maximum of 5 mg twice daily, up to the maximum dose of 25 mg twice daily.
The starting dose should not be increased within the first four weeks of treatment and thereafter no more frequently than at 2-week intervals.
Treatment should be discontinued for platelet counts less than 50 000/mm³ or absolute neutrophil counts less than 500/mm³. In PV, treatment should also be interrupted when haemoglobin is below 8 g/dl. After recovery of blood counts above these levels, dosing may be re-started at 5 mg twice daily and gradually increased based on careful monitoring of complete blood cell count, including a white blood cell count differential.
Dose reductions should be considered if the platelet count decreases during treatment as outlined in Table 4, with the goal of avoiding dose interruptions for thrombocytopenia.
Table 4. Dosing recommendation for MF patients with thrombocytopenia:
| Dose at time of platelet decline | |||||
| 25 mg twice daily | 20 mg twice daily | 15 mg twice daily | 10 mg twice daily | 5 mg twice daily | |
| Platelet count | New dose | ||||
| 100 000 to <125 000/mm³ | 20 mg twice daily | 15 mg twice daily | No change | No change | No change |
| 75 000 to <100 000/mm³ | 10 mg twice daily | 10 mg twice daily | 10 mg twice daily | No change | No change |
| 50 000 to <75 000/mm³ | 5 mg twice daily | 5 mg twice daily | 5 mg twice daily | 5 mg twice daily | No change |
| Less than 50 000/mm³ | Hold | Hold | Hold | Hold | Hold |
In PV, dose reductions should also be considered if haemoglobin decreases below 12 g/dl and is recommended if it decreases below 10 g/dl.
Dose reductions and temporary interruptions of treatment may be needed in GvHD-patients with thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, or elevated total bilirubin after standard supportive therapy including growth-factors, anti-infective therapies and transfusions. One dose level reduction step is recommended (10 mg twice daily to 5 mg twice daily or 5 mg twice daily to 5 mg once daily). In patients who are unable to tolerate Jakavi at a dose of 5 mg once daily, treatment should be interrupted. Detailed dosing recommendations are provided in Table 5.
Table 5. Dosing recommendations during ruxolitinib therapy for GvHD patients with thrombocytopenia, neutropenia or elevated total bilirubin:
| Laboratory parameter | Dosing recommendation |
| Platelet count <20 000/mm³ | Reduce Jakavi by one dose level. If platelet count ≥20 000/mm³ within seven days, dose may be increased to initial dose level, otherwise maintain reduced dose. |
| Platelet count <15 000/mm³ | Hold Jakavi until platelet count ≥20 000/mm³, then resume at one lower dose level. |
| Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥500/mm³ to <750/mm³ | Reduce Jakavi by one dose level. Resume at initial dose level if ANC >1 000/mm³. |
| Absolute neutrophil count <500/mm³ | Hold Jakavi until ANC >500/mm³, then resume at one lower dose level. If ANC >1 000/mm³, dosing may resume at initial dose level. |
| Total bilirubin elevation not caused by GvHD (no liver GvHD) | >3.0 to 5.0 x upper limit of normal (ULN): Continue Jakavi at one lower dose level until ≤3.0 x ULN. |
| >5.0 to 10.0 x ULN: Hold Jakavi up to 14 days until total bilirubin ≤3.0 x ULN. If total bilirubin ≤3.0 x ULN dosing may resume at current dose. If not ≤3.0 x ULN after 14 days, resume at one lower dose level. | |
| >10.0 x ULN: Hold Jakavi until total bilirubin ≤3.0 x ULN, then resume at one lower dose level. | |
| Total bilirubin elevation caused by GvHD (liver GvHD) | >3.0 x ULN: Continue Jakavi at one lower dose level until total bilirubin ≤3.0 x ULN. |
When ruxolitinib is administered with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or dual inhibitors of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 enzymes (e.g. fluconazole) the unit dose of ruxolitinib should be reduced by approximately 50%, to be administered twice daily (see sections 4.4 and 4.5). The concomitant use of ruxolitinib with fluconazole doses greater than 200 mg daily should be avoided.
No specific dose adjustment is needed in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment.
In patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 30 ml/min) the recommended starting dose based on platelet count for MF, PV and GvHD patients should be reduced by approximately 50% to be administered twice daily. Patients should be carefully monitored with regard to safety and efficacy during ruxolitinib treatment (see section 4.4).
There are limited data to determine the best dosing options for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic simulations based on available data in this population suggest that the starting dose for MF patients with ESRD on haemodialysis is a single dose of 15 to 20 mg or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart, to be administered post-dialysis and only on the day of haemodialysis. A single dose of 15 mg is recommended for MF patients with platelet count between 100 000/mm³ and 200 000/mm³. A single dose of 20 mg or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart is recommended for MF patients with platelet count of >200 000/mm³. Subsequent doses (single administration or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart) should be administered only on haemodialysis days following each dialysis session.
The recommended starting dose for PV patients with ESRD on haemodialysis is a single dose of 10 mg or two doses of 5 mg given 12 hours apart, to be administered post-dialysis and only on the day of haemodialysis. These dose recommendations are based on simulations and any dose modification in ESRD should be followed by careful monitoring of safety and efficacy in individual patients. No data is available for dosing patients who are undergoing peritoneal dialysis or continuous venovenous haemofiltration (see section 5.2).
There are no data for GvHD patients with ESRD.
In MF patients with any hepatic impairment the recommended starting dose based on platelet count should be reduced by approximately 50% to be administered twice daily. Subsequent doses should be adjusted based on careful monitoring of safety and efficacy. The recommended starting dose is 5 mg twice daily for PV patients. Ruxolitinib dose can be titrated to reduce the risk of cytopenia (see section 4.4).
In patients with mild, moderate or severe hepatic impairment not related to GvHD, the starting dose of ruxolitinib should be reduced by 50% (see section 5.2).
In patients with GvHD liver involvement and an increase of total bilirubin to >3 x ULN, blood counts should be monitored more frequently for toxicity and a dose reduction by one dose level is recommended.
No additional dose adjustments are recommended for elderly patients.
The safety and efficacy of Jakavi in children and adolescents aged up to 18 years with MF and PV have not been established. No data are available (see section 5.1).
Treatment of MF and PV may be continued as long as the benefit-risk assessment remains positive. However the treatment should be discontinued after 6 months if there has been no reduction in spleen size or improvement in symptoms since initiation of therapy.
It is recommended that, for patients who have demonstrated some degree of clinical improvement, ruxolitinib therapy be discontinued if they sustain an increase in their spleen length of 40% compared with baseline size (roughly equivalent to a 25% increase in spleen volume) and no longer have tangible improvement in disease-related symptoms.
In GvHD, tapering of Jakavi may be considered in patients with a response and after having discontinued corticosteroids. A 50% dose reduction of Jakavi every two months is recommended. If signs or symptoms of GvHD reoccur during or after the taper of Jakavi, re-escalation of treatment should be considered.
Jakavi is to be taken orally, with or without food.
If a dose is missed, the patient should not take an additional dose, but should take the next usual prescribed dose.
There is no known antidote for overdoses with Jakavi. Single doses up to 200 mg have been given with acceptable acute tolerability. Higher than recommended repeat doses are associated with increased myelosuppression including leukopenia, anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Appropriate supportive treatment should be given.
Haemodialysis is not expected to enhance the elimination of ruxolitinib.
3 years.
Do not store above 30°C.
PVC/PCTFE/Aluminium blister packs containing 14 or 56 tablets or multipacks containing 168 (3 packs of 56) tablets.
Not all pack sizes or types may be marketed.
Any unused medicinal product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.
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