Alina Markova, MD, on the Rationale for Assessing Topical Ruxolitinib in Cutaneous Chronic GVHD

In an interview with CancerNetwork® during the 2022 Tandem Meeting, Alina Markova, MD, dermatologist and director of inpatient consultative dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discussed the rationale for assessing topical ruxolitinib INCB018424 phosphate 1.5% cream (Opselura) in patients with non-sclerotic and superficially sclerotic chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). She highlights that other topical treatments for the disease, such as steroids, can negatively impact survivors’ quality of life due to adverse effects (AEs) such as bruising and skin thinning. This leaves an unmet need in this patient population.

Transcript:

There are currently no FDA-approved topical therapies for chronic cutaneous [GVHD]. The main topical treatment that is currently used for chronic cutaneous [GVHD] is topical steroids. Topical steroids with long-term use have significant toxicity, [such as] skin thinning and bruising—things that are irreversible and can affect the quality of life of our survivors. Other treatments that are used off label are topical calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus [Protopic], and they have AEs such as burning. Ultimately, both are ineffective and we need other treatments in order to increase [the number of] tools that we have to treat cutaneous involvement of GVHD.

Reference

Markova A, Prockop SE, Dusza S, et al. Interim results of a pilot, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, vehicle-controlled trial on safety and efficacy of a topical inhibitor of Janus kinase 1/2 (ruxolitinib INCB018424 phosphate 1.5% cream) for non-sclerotic and superficially sclerotic chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease. Presented at: 2022 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings; Salt Lake City, UT; April 23-26, 2022. Abstract 390.