Frontline to Future: Considering the Role of Ruxolitinib Therapy in the Expanding cGvHD Landscape
A panelist discusses how chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) affects 30-50% of allogenic transplant patients, explaining its clinical diagnosis across eight cardinal organs (particularly skin, joints, mouth and lungs), treatment approaches with corticosteroids as first-line therapy, and comparing four FDA-approved second-line agents (Ibrutinib, Belimacidil, Ruxolitinib, and Exitelimab) with their unique mechanisms of action, efficacy, and appropriate sequencing based on organ involvement.
A panelist discusses how chronic graft-versus-host disease affects 30-70% of allogeneic transplant patients across eight cardinal organs (most commonly skin), presents with varying symptoms from rashes and joint stiffness to dry eyes and lung complications, and requires graded treatment approaches ranging from topical therapies for mild cases to systemic corticosteroids for moderate-to-severe disease, though 50% of patients ultimately need alternative treatments due to steroid dependency or resistance.
Watch
EP. 2: A Review of Approved Therapies for SR cGvHD
June 5th 2025A panelist discusses how four FDA-approved agents treat steroid-refractory cGVHD, including ibrutinib (65% response rate), belumosidil (74% response rate), ruxolitinib (50% vs 25% in phase 3 trial), and exotilimab (74% response rate with durable responses lasting 17.2 months median failure-free survival).
Watch
EP. 3: Clinical Perspectives for Sequencing Therapies in SR cGvHD
June 12th 2025A panelist discusses how to sequence the four approved cGVHD agents based on patient-specific factors, recommending exotilimab or belumosidil for lung involvement, any of the three oral agents for skin/joint disease, and ibrutinib for lymphoma patients, while considering individual toxicity profiles and disease manifestations.
Watch
EP. 4: Real-World Experience with Ruxolitinib in SR cGvHD
June 19th 2025A panelist discusses how real-world experience with ruxolitinib and belumosidil shows similar response rates to clinical trials (45% and 65% respectively), emphasizes the importance of antimicrobial prophylaxis and supportive care, and describes gradual steroid tapering strategies once patients achieve responses.
Watch
