Ruxolitinib Benefits Some with Pancreatic Cancer

A phase II trial found that the drug ruxolitinib extends the lives of some patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who no longer responded to first-line therapy. Ruxolitinib, approved for treating myelofibrosis, blocks the JAK/STAT pathway, which promotes inflammation. Ruxolitinib increased median survival from 1.8 to 2.7 months in patients with pancreatic cancer who had high levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein in their blood.