Submission of New Drug Application: Rusfertide for Polycythemia Vera

Dinesh Patel, PhD, CEO of Protagonist Therapeutics, discusses the New Drug Application (NDA) submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for rusfertide to treat adults with polycythemia vera (PV).

PV is characterized by excess red blood cells in the bloodstream, increasing the risk for blood clots. Most cases of PV are acquired and occur more frequently in men than in women. The condition has been associated with genetic changes in the JAK2 and TET2 genes. Rusfertide is an investigational first-in-class subcutaneously administered hepcidin mimetic peptide designed to regulate iron homeostasis and red blood cell production to control hematocrit levels in patients with PV.

The NDA submission is based on positive 32-week primary analysis and 52-week results from the phase 3, global, randomized, placebo-controlled VERIFY clinical trial (NCT05210790). In this study, patients receiving rusfertide plus standard of care therapy demonstrated a substantially higher response rate compared to placebo plus standard of care, including durable hematocrit control, a reduction in phlebotomy requirements and improvement in pre-specified patient reported outcome endpoints.

Rusfertide has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation, Orphan Drug Designation, and Fast Track Designation from the FDA.

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