Trial reportBritish journal of haematology2017
The efficacy and safety of continued hydroxycarbamide therapy versus switching to ruxolitinib in patients with polycythaemia vera: a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, symptom study (RELIEF).
Trial report in British journal of haematology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 87 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ruxolitinib for the prevention of thrombosis in polycythemia vera: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Blood advances · 2020Pooled it
- Clinical outcomes under hydroxyurea treatment in polycythemia vera: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Haematologica · 2019Pooled it
- A guideline for the management of specific situations in polycythaemia vera and secondary erythrocytosis: A British Society for Haematology Guideline.British journal of haematology · 2019Guideline
- Philadelphia chromosome-negative classical myeloproliferative neoplasms: revised management recommendations from European LeukemiaNet.Leukemia · 2018Guideline
- Ruxolitinib Versus Best Available Therapy for Polycythemia Vera Intolerant or Resistant to Hydroxycarbamide in a Randomized Trial.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2023Trial
- Efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in patients with newly-diagnosed polycythemia vera: futility analysis of the RuxoBEAT clinical trial of the GSG-MPN study group.Annals of hematology · 2023Trial
- [Systemic pruritus: focus on hematological, nephrogenic, and hepatobiliary etiologies].Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Emerging Significance and Implications of a Durable Complete Molecular Remission in the Treatment of Polycythemia Vera.Current hematologic malignancy reports · 2025Review
- Treatment of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms With Janus Kinase Inhibitors: A Meta-Analysis of Cardiovascular Safety.EJHaem · 2025Article
- Review
- Clinical outcomes of high-risk patients with polycythemia vera after suboptimal response to first-line therapy who switched to ruxolitinib versus nonswitchers: results from the PV-Switch study.Therapeutic advances in hematology · 2025Article
- Review
- SOHO State of the Art Update and Next Questions: Novel Therapies for Polycythemia Vera.Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia · 2024Review
- TheEJHaem · 2023Article
- Treatment of hydroxyurea-resistant/intolerant polycythemia vera: a discussion of best practices.Annals of hematology · 2023Review
- Advances in Risk Stratification and Treatment of Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia.Current hematologic malignancy reports · 2022Review
- Role of JAK inhibitors in myeloproliferative neoplasms: current point of view and perspectives.International journal of hematology · 2022Review
- Current Status of Baricitinib as a Repurposed Therapy for COVID-19.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Polycythemia Vera (PV): Update on Emerging Treatment Options.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2021Review
- Immune Dysregulation and Infectious Complications in MPN Patients Treated With JAK Inhibitors.Frontiers in immunology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors at 15 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3b RELIEF trial evaluated polycythaemia vera (PV)-related symptoms in patients who were well controlled with a stable dose of hydroxycarbamide (also termed hydroxyurea) but reported PV-related symptoms. Patients were randomized 1:1 to ruxolitinib 10 mg BID (n = 54) or hydroxycarbamide (prerandomization dose/schedule; n = 56); crossover to ruxolitinib was permitted after Week 16. The primary endpoint, ≥50% improvement from baseline in myeloproliferative neoplasm -symptom assessment form total symptom score cytokine symptom cluster (TSS-C; sum of tiredness, itching, muscle aches, night sweats, and sweats while awake) at Week 16, was achieved by 43·4% vs. 29·6% of ruxolitinib- and hydroxycarbamide-treated patients, respectively (odds ratio, 1·82; 95% confidence interval, 0·82-4·04; P = 0·139). The primary endpoint was achieved by 34% of a subgroup who maintained their hydroxycarbamide dose from baseline to Weeks 13-16. In a post hoc analysis, the primary endpoint was achieved by more patients with stable screening-to-baseline TSS-C scores (ratio ≤ 2) receiving ruxolitinib than hydroxycarbamide (47·4% vs. 25·0%; P = 0·0346). Ruxolitinib treatment after unblinding was associated with continued symptom score improvements. Adverse events were primarily grades 1/2 with no unexpected safety signals. Ruxolitinib was associated with a nonsignificant trend towards improved PV-related symptoms versus hydroxycarbamide, although an unexpectedly large proportion of patients who maintained their hydroxycarbamide dose reported symptom improvement.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.