Andrew Kuykendall, MD, assistant member in Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, discusses the phase 3 VERIFY trial primary results, presented at ASCO® 2025 in Chicago.
The phase 3 study tested rusfertide, a first-in-class peptide hepcidin mimetic, in polycythemia vera (PV) patients needing frequent phlebotomies to control hematocrit.
“Rusfertide is a hepcidin mimetic, first in class subcutaneous injection that mimics hepcidin and restricts iron from the bone marrow,” Dr. Kuykendall explained
The VERIFY trial compared rusfertide to placebo, assessing phlebotomy needs. Rusfertide reduced phlebotomies and improved hematocrit control.
“Rusfertide was able to maintain a hematocrit less than 45% much more commonly than placebo,” Dr. Kuykendall said.
These results suggest rusfertide could improve PV treatment and quality of life. As noted by Dr. Kuykendall in the VERIFY trial, rusfertide reduced phlebotomies to 0.5 per patient versus 1.8 for placebo.
Reference
Kuykendall A, Pemmaraju N, Pettit K, et al. Results from VERIFY, a phase 3, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled study of rusfertide for treatment of polycythemia vera (PV). Presented at the 2025 ASCO® Annual Meeting; May 30-June 3, 2025; Chicago.
Listen to the MPN podcast episode with Drs. Kuykendall and Gabriela Hobbs.
