What is Ruxolitinib Phosphate Tablets/Ruxolitinib used to treat?

Ruxolitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used to treat myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and graft-versus-host disease. Ruxolitinib tablets are administered orally twice daily.

Ruxolitinib is indicated for the treatment of the following conditions: moderate or high-risk myelofibrosis, including primary myelofibrosis, post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis and post-idiopathic thrombocythemia myelofibrosis in adults; polycythemia vera in adults with poor response to or intolerance to hydroxyurea; steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older; and chronic graft-versus-host disease in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older after failure of one or two systemic therapies.

The active ingredient in ruxolitinibRuxolitinib is a kinase inhibitor, a protein that can bind to another protein, in the case of ruxolitinib, a group of enzymes calledJanus kinases (JAKs). JAK is involved in the production and growth of blood cells and immune function. In myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera, the JAK protein is overactive, causing abnormal production of blood cells. These cells then migrate to organs, including the spleen, where they become larger. Ruxolitinib blocks JAKs and reduces the abnormal production of blood cells, thereby alleviating the symptoms of the disease.

Ruxolitinib may cause serious adverse reactions including thrombocytopenia, anemia, and neutropenia; increased risk of infection; increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer; elevated blood lipids; major adverse cardiovascular events; thrombosis; and secondary malignancies.