Jakavi Dosage/Direction for Use

Jakavi treatment should only be initiated by a physician experienced in the administration of anti-cancer medicinal products.
A complete blood cell count, including a white blood cell count differential, must be performed before initiating therapy with Jakavi.
Complete blood count, including a white blood cell count differential, should be monitored every 2 to 4 weeks until Jakavi doses are stabilised, and then as clinically indicated (see Precautions).
Posology: Starting dose: Myelofibrosis (MF): The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in MF is based on platelet counts (see Table 6).

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Polycythaemia vera (PV): The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in PV is 10 mg twice daily.
Graft versus host disease (GvHD): The recommended starting dose of Jakavi in acute and chronic GvHD is based on age (see Tables 7 and 8).

Click on icon to see table/diagram/image


Click on icon to see table/diagram/image

These starting doses in GvHD can be administered using either the tablet for patients who can swallow tablets whole or the oral solution.
Jakavi can be added to corticosteroids and/or calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs).
Dose modifications: Doses may be titrated based on efficacy and safety.
Myelofibrosis and polycythaemia vera: If efficacy is considered insufficient and blood counts are adequate, doses may be increased by a maximum of 5 mg twice daily, up to the maximum dose of 25 mg twice daily.
The starting dose should not be increased within the first four weeks of treatment and thereafter no more frequently than at 2-week intervals.
Treatment should be discontinued for platelet counts less than 50 000/mm³ or absolute neutrophil counts less than 500/mm³. In PV, treatment should also be interrupted when haemoglobin is below 8 g/dl. After recovery of blood counts above these levels, dosing may be re-started at 5 mg twice daily and gradually increased based on careful monitoring of complete blood cell count, including a white blood cell count differential.
Dose reductions should be considered if the platelet count decreases during treatment as outlined in Table 9, with the goal of avoiding dose interruptions for thrombocytopenia. (See Table 9.)

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In PV, dose reductions should also be considered if haemoglobin decreases below 12 g/dl and is recommended if it decreases below 10 g/dl.
Graft versus host disease: Dose reductions and temporary interruptions of treatment may be needed in GvHD-patients with thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, or elevated total bilirubin after standard supportive therapy including growth-factors, anti-infective therapies and transfusions. One dose level reduction step is recommended (10 mg twice daily to 5 mg twice daily or 5 mg twice daily to 5 mg once daily). In patients who are unable to tolerate Jakavi at a dose of 5 mg once daily, treatment should be interrupted. Detailed dosing recommendations are provided in Table 10. (See Table 10.)

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Dose adjustment with concomitant strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or dual CYP2C9/3A4 inhibitors: When ruxolitinib is administered with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or dual inhibitors of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 enzymes (e.g. fluconazole) the unit dose of ruxolitinib should be reduced by approximately 50%, to be administered twice daily (see Precautions and Interactions). The concomitant use of ruxolitinib with fluconazole doses greater than 200 mg daily should be avoided.
Special populations: Renal impairment: No specific dose adjustment is needed in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment.
In patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 30 ml/min) the recommended starting dose based on platelet count for MF, PV and GvHD patients should be reduced by approximately 50% to be administered twice daily. Patients should be carefully monitored with regard to safety and efficacy during ruxolitinib treatment (see Precautions).
There are limited data to determine the best dosing options for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic simulations based on available data in this population suggest that the starting dose for MF patients with ESRD on haemodialysis is a single dose of 15 to 20 mg or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart, to be administered post-dialysis and only on the day of haemodialysis. A single dose of 15 mg is recommended for MF patients with platelet count between 100,000/mm³ and 200,000/mm³. A single dose of 20 mg or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart is recommended for MF patients with platelet count of >200,000/mm³. Subsequent doses (single administration or two doses of 10 mg given 12 hours apart) should be administered only on haemodialysis days following each dialysis session.
The recommended starting dose for PV patients with ESRD on haemodialysis is a single dose of 10 mg or two doses of 5 mg given 12 hours apart, to be administered post-dialysis and only on the day of haemodialysis. These dose recommendations are based on simulations and any dose modification in ESRD should be followed by careful monitoring of safety and efficacy in individual patients. No data is available for dosing patients who are undergoing peritoneal dialysis or continuous venovenous haemofiltration (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
There are no data for GvHD patients with ESRD.
Hepatic impairment: In MF patients with any hepatic impairment the recommended starting dose based on platelet count should be reduced by approximately 50% to be administered twice daily. Subsequent doses should be adjusted based on careful monitoring of safety and efficacy. The recommended starting dose is 5 mg twice daily for PV patients. Ruxolitinib dose can be titrated to reduce the risk of cytopenia (see Precautions).
In patients with mild, moderate or severe hepatic impairment not related to GvHD, the starting dose of ruxolitinib should be reduced by 50% (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
In patients with GvHD liver involvement and an increase of total bilirubin to >3 x ULN, blood counts should be monitored more frequently for toxicity and a dose reduction by one dose level is recommended.
Elderly patients (≥65 years): No additional dose adjustments are recommended for elderly patients.
Paediatric population: The safety and efficacy of Jakavi in children and adolescents aged up to 18 years with MF and PV have not been established. No data are available (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
Treatment discontinuation: Treatment of MF and PV may be continued as long as the benefit-risk assessment remains positive. However the treatment should be discontinued after 6 months if there has been no reduction in spleen size or improvement in symptoms since initiation of therapy.
It is recommended that, for patients who have demonstrated some degree of clinical improvement, ruxolitinib therapy be discontinued if they sustain an increase in their spleen length of 40% compared with baseline size (roughly equivalent to a 25% increase in spleen volume) and no longer have tangible improvement in disease-related symptoms.
In GvHD, tapering of Jakavi may be considered in patients with a response and after having discontinued corticosteroids. A 50% dose reduction of Jakavi every two months is recommended. If signs or symptoms of GvHD reoccur during or after the taper of Jakavi, re-escalation of treatment should be considered.
Method of administration: Jakavi is to be taken orally, with or without food.
If a dose is missed, the patient should not take an additional dose, but should take the next usual prescribed dose.