Ajax Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing advanced JAK inhibitors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), will present data from its first-in-human study of AJ1-11095 at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. The poster presentation, scheduled for December 8, 2024, in San Diego, will detail the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of AJ1-11095, a next-generation Type II JAK2 inhibitor. The study, led by principal investigator John Mascarenhas, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is a multicenter, open-label trial evaluating AJ1-11095 as a monotherapy in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF), or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF) who have not responded to or have discontinued treatment with a Type I JAK2 inhibitor. Additional study details are available on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06343805).
AJ1-11095 is a novel therapy designed in collaboration with Schrödinger, leveraging advanced computational methods to selectively target the Type II conformation of the JAK2 kinase. This targeted approach aims to improve efficacy and disease modification compared to existing Type I JAK2 inhibitors like ruxolitinib. Preclinical studies suggest AJ1-11095 may offer benefits such as reversing bone marrow fibrosis, reducing mutant allele burden, and maintaining effectiveness against MPN cells resistant to chronic Type I JAK2 inhibition.
Myelofibrosis (MF) is a rare blood cancer affecting approximately 20,000 people in the United States. Characterized by enlarged spleen, bone marrow scarring (fibrosis), progressive anemia, and debilitating symptoms like fatigue, night sweats, itching, and abdominal discomfort, MF significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. Current standard treatment with Type I JAK2 inhibitors often provides only temporary relief of symptoms and limited impact on the underlying disease. Many patients eventually discontinue these treatments due to lack of efficacy, adverse events, or disease progression, highlighting the need for improved therapeutic options. Ajax Therapeutics is dedicated to developing innovative therapies for MPNs, focusing on selective approaches to address the unmet needs of patients with MF. By combining deep expertise in cancer and structural biology with advanced computational drug discovery platforms, the company aims to create more precise and effective treatments for this challenging disease. More information about Ajax Therapeutics can be found at www.ajaxtherapeutics.com.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.