A Study of Ruxolitinib vs Best Available Therapy (BAT) in Patients With Steroid-refractory Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD) After Bone Marrow Transplantation (REACH3)

To assess improvement of symptoms based on the total symptom score (TSS); a responder was defined as having achieved a clinically relevant reduction from Baseline of the TSS. The scale consists of 30 items in 7 subscales (skin, eye, mouth, lung, nutrition, energy, and psychological). Participants reported their level of symptom "bother" over the previous month on a 5-point likert scale: not at all, slightly, moderately, quite a bit, or extremely. Subscale scores and the summary score range from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating worse symptoms.

Composite time to event endpoint incorporating the following FFS events: (i) relapse or recurrence of underlying disease or death due to underlying disease, (ii) nonrelapse mortality, or (iii) addition or initiation of another systemic therapy for cGvHD.

Composite time to event endpoint incorporating the following FFS events: (i) relapse or recurrence of underlying disease or death due to underlying disease, (ii) nonrelapse mortality, or (iii) addition or initiation of another systemic therapy for cGvHD.

BOR was defined as the percentage of participants who achieved an overall response (CR+PR) based on cGvHD disease assessments (National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria) without the requirement of additional systemic therapies for an earlier progression, mixed response, or non-response at any time point (up to Cycle 7 Day 1 or the start of additional systemic therapy for cGvHD). Scoring of response was relative to the organ score at the time of randomization. CR: complete resolution of all signs and symptoms of cGVHD in all evaluable organs without the initiation or addition of new systemic therapy. PR: improvement in at least one organ (e.g., improvement of 1 or more points on a 4- to 7-point scale, or an improvement of 2 or more points on a 10- to 12-point scale) without progression in other organs or sites, initiation, or addition of new systemic therapies. This analysis was based on the primary cutoff date (May 2020).

BOR was defined as the percentage of participants who achieved an overall response (CR+PR) based on cGvHD disease assessments (National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria) without the requirement of additional systemic therapies for an earlier progression, mixed response, or non-response at any time point (up to Cycle 7 Day 1 or the start of additional systemic therapy for cGvHD). Scoring of response was relative to the organ score at the time of randomization. CR: complete resolution of all signs and symptoms of cGVHD in all evaluable organs without the initiation or addition of new systemic therapy. PR: improvement in at least one organ (e.g., improvement of 1 or more points on a 4- to 7-point scale, or an improvement of 2 or more points on a 10- to 12-point scale) without progression in other organs or sites, initiation, or addition of new systemic therapies.

ORR was defined as the percentage of participants in each arm demonstrating a CR or PR based on cGvHD disease assessments (National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria) without the requirement of additional systemic therapies for an earlier progression, mixed response, or non-response. Scoring of response was relative to the organ score at the time of randomization. CR: complete resolution of all signs and symptoms of cGVHD in all evaluable organs without the initiation or addition of new systemic therapy. PR: improvement in at least one organ (e.g., improvement of 1 or more points on a 4- to 7-point scale, or an improvement of 2 or more points on a 10- to 12-point scale) without progression in other organs or sites, initiation, or addition of new systemic therapies.

DOR was defined as the time from first response until cGvHD progression, death, or the date of change/addition of systemic therapies for cGvHD and as assessed for responders only. Response was based on cGvHD disease assessments (National Institutes of Health consensus criteria). Duration of response was evaluated in participants who achieved a CR or PR at or before Cycle 7 Day 1. The analysis included a larger number of participants than the number of participants who achieved CR or PR at Cycle 7 Day 1 (82 ruxolitinib and 42 BAT) because the analysis took into account not only those participants who achieved CR or PR at Cycle 7 Day 1, but also participants who achieved CR or PR before Cycle 7 Day 1 but who may have lost their response at Cycle 7 Day 1. For this reason, the number of participants in this analysis does not align with the best overall response (BOR) at Cycle 7 Day 1. This analysis was based on the cutoff date upon study completion (December 2022).

Overall survival was defined as the time from the date of randomization to the date of death due to any cause.

Defined as the cumulative incidence rate from competing risk analysis for NRM from the date of randomization to the date of death not preceded by underlying disease relapse/recurrence.

All corticosteroid dosages prescribed to the participant and all dose changes during the study were to be recorded for assessment of participants with a ≥ 50% reduction in daily corticosteroid dose.

All corticosteroid dosages prescribed to the participant and all dose changes during the study were to be recorded for assessment of participants who successfully tapered off of all corticosteroids. Participants who completely tapered off corticosteroids refer to those who permanently discontinued steroids as per the dose administration panel and who did not restart steroids in the same interval. Participants who were tapered off and continued follow-up were also counted as being tapered off with 0 dose in subsequent intervals until they discontinued from the main treatment period or restarted steroid treatment.

Defined as the cumulative incidence rate from competing risk analysis of MR from the date of randomization to hematologic malignancy relapse/recurrence.

Change from Baseline was calculated as the post-Baseline value minus the Baseline value. The FACT-BMT is a 50-item self-report questionnaire that measures the effect of a therapy on domains including physical, functional, social/family, and emotional well-being, together with additional concerns relevant for bone marrow transplantation participants. The questions were based on a 5-point Likert scale, where 0 corresponds to "not at all" and 4 corresponds to "very much." The higher the final score, the better the quality of life. The FACT-BMT total score ranges from 0 to 148.

The EQ-5D-5L is a descriptive classification consisting of five dimensions of health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, anxiety/depression, and pain/discomfort. The five-level version (no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems) uses a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 being no problems and 5 being extreme problems.

Adverse events were defined as the appearance of (or worsening of any pre-existing) undesirable signs, symptoms, or medical conditions that occurred after the participant's signed informed consent was obtained. Abnormal laboratory values or test results occurring after informed consent constituted adverse events only if they induced clinical signs or symptoms, were considered clinically significant, required therapy (e.g., hematologic abnormality that required transfusion or hematological stem cell support), or required changes in study medication(s). TEAEs were defined as those AEs that started or worsened during the on-treatment period (either randomized or cross-over period).

Cmax was defined as the maximum observed plasma concentration of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

AUClast was defined as the area under the concentration-time curve up to the last measurable concentration of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

AUCinf was defined as the area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

CL/F was defined as the oral dose clearance of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

Vz/F was defined as the apparent oral dose volume of distribution of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

tmax was defined as the time to reach the maximum plasma concentration of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

t1/2 was defined as the apparent terminal phase disposition half-life of ruxolitinib. Early enrolling participants (approximately the first 8 adult and first 4 adolescent participants) randomized to ruxolitinib arm followed an "extensive PK" sampling schedule. Subsequent participants randomized to ruxolitinib, any randomized participants receiving ruxolitinib after Cycle 6, and any randomized participants receiving BAT that cross over to ruxolitinib followed the "sparse PK" sampling schedule.

The percentage of participants with at least one submission to healthcare encounter was assessed.