Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced that its strategic
collaborator, Novartis, received approval from the European Commission
for Jakavi® (INC424, ruxolitinib), an oral JAK 1 and JAK 2
inhibitor discovered by Incyte, for the treatment of disease-related
splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients with primary myelofibrosis
(also known as chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis), post-polycythemia vera
myelofibrosis or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis.
Incyte entered into a worldwide collaboration and license agreement with
Novartis in 2009. Novartis received exclusive rights to the development
and potential commercialization of ruxolitinib in all
hematology-oncology indications outside of the United States. Incyte
retained exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of
ruxolitinib in the United States, and received approval from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration in November 2011 for ruxolitinib, marketed
in the United States under the brand name Jakafi®. Jakafi®
(ruxolitinib) is approved in the United States for the treatment of
patients with intermediate or high-risk myelofibrosis, including primary
myelofibrosis, post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis and post-essential
thrombocythemia myelofibrosis.