As reported in MedCity News, Ojjaara was part of GSK’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology last year.

FDA approval of GSK’s momelotinib covers the treatment of adult myelofibrosis patients regardless of whether or not they have been previously treated with another drug.

FDA has recently approved medicine that addresses the primary symptoms of myelofibrosis that affects recently diagnosed and previously treated patients who have anemia.

GSK is firm in its belief that Ojjaara is a more effective treatment option than its rivals.

Bristol Myers’ Inrebic was FDA-approved in January 2020 and Incyte’s Jakafi has been on the market for years. Both drugs improve myelofibrosis symptoms but at times they are known to have a negative effect on patients with anemia and a patient may require multiple blood transfusions or a stem cell transplant.

The three drugs perform in a similar manner acting on “JAKs” (Janus kinases) which are enzymes that take on various roles in the body. This includes regulating cell growth and the all-important activities of the immune system.

Unlike its two rivals, Ojjaara also performs one function that inhibits the ACVR1 protein found mostly in the bones.

GSK is of the opinion that blocking the protein ADVR1 is the reason that Ojjaara has a beneficial effect on a patient’s anemia.

A critical clinical trial showed that a much larger percentage of patients with myelofibrosis who were treated with Ojjaara had a 50% reduction in symptoms as opposed to the other two drugs. Ojjaara also reduced the size of patients’ spleens and lessened the need for blood transfusions.

It is noteworthy that the FDA approved Ojjaara without specifying whether or not patients have or have not had previous treatments.