Andrew Kuykendall, MD

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, lead investigator for the VERIFY trial supporting the approval, said rusfertide is used to treat erythrocytosis in polycythemia vera.

Rusfertide has received orphan drug, fast track, and breakthrough therapy designations from the FDA, and in this interview, Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, emphasizes the critical need for therapies that offer a sense of normalcy to individuals with polycythemia vera.

Noting the profound impact of living with a chronic condition that constantly reminds patients of their "patient" status, Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, emphasizes the importance of therapies that can offer a sense of normalcy.

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, explains the goals of the VERIFY trial and why its data on rusfertide could have paradigm-changing implications for patients with polycythemia vera (PV) who currently rely on frequent phlebotomies for relief.

Andrew Kuykendall, MD, is an investigator on the phase 3 VERIFY trial (NCT05210790), findings from which demonstrate the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of rusfertide to treat polycythemia vera.

In this fourth part of a discussion with The American Journal of Managed Care®, Andrew Kuykendall, MD, clinical researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center and VERIFY investigator, speaks to the impressive patient-reported outcomes seen thus far.

In part 3 of a discussion with Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, he talks of rusfertide’s ability to enable patients to live a more viable life and free them from being tethered to the need for regular phlebotomies.

Treatment guidelines in polycythemia vera currently recommend maintaining hematocrit below 45%, with a higher threshold for men vs women.

Polycythemia vera is a classic myeloproliferative neoplasm and a chronic type of leukemia, which often leads to overproduction of various blood cells.