Geron discontinues late-stage trial of blood cancer drug

Oct 28 — Geron said on Wednesday it would halt a late-stage ​trial of its treatment for a rare blood cancer, sending the drugmaker's shares down 9% in premarket ‌trading.

The drug, branded as Rytelo, was being evaluated as a treatment for ⁠myelofibrosis, a rare type ​of blood cancer in ⁠which scar tissue gradually builds up in the bone ‌marrow.

Geron said it ‌made the decision following an independent data monitoring ⁠committee's recommendation that the trial ⁠was unlikely to achieve its main goal of overall survival, compared to the best available therapy.

Geron said a detailed analysis of the data will be conducted, and study findings will be shared at a ‌future date.

The trial enrolled 327 patients ​with high-risk myelofibrosis whose disease had returned or failed to respond after treatment with a JAK inhibitor, a type of drug used to manage symptoms and reduce spleen enlargement.

"As we fully analyze the data from the IMpactMF trial, we remain committed to growing Rytelo ​demand in the US and broadening access to eligible ‌patients outside the ‌US," ⁠CEO Harout Semerjian said.

Rytelo received US approval in 2024 for treating transfusion-dependent anemia in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood cancers.

The drug, Geron's only commercial ‌product, competes with Bristol ​Myers Squibb's Reblozyl. In the ‌second quarter, Rytelo ⁠brought in $57.5 ​million in revenue.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Maju Samuel)

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