BURLINGTON, Mass. — PharmaEssentia USA announced it will present new clinical data from its Phase 3 SURPASS-ET trial in an oral session at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place May 30–June 3 in Chicago. The study evaluates ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft as a second-line treatment for essential thrombocythemia (ET), a chronic blood disorder with limited current treatment options.
The company previously reported positive topline results from the SURPASS-ET trial, showing that ropeginterferon achieved a durable clinical response rate of 42.9%, significantly outperforming anagrelide, which achieved just 6.0% (p=0.0001). In addition to its efficacy, the therapy demonstrated a favorable safety profile and a notable reduction in JAK2 V617F allelic burden—a genetic marker associated with disease progression—over the course of 12 months.
Ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the brand name BESREMi® for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera (PV). It is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) as a preferred first-line therapy for both high-risk and symptomatic low-risk PV patients.
Dr. Ruben Mesa, co-principal investigator of the SURPASS-ET study and president of Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, emphasized the importance of the findings. “Current therapies for ET, like hydroxyurea and anagrelide, often have limitations ranging from side effects to inadequate disease control. Ropeginterferon offers a new approach by targeting the underlying biology of ET while maintaining a favorable safety profile,” he said. “This marks the first registrational Phase 3 trial of a long-acting interferon in ET and demonstrates its potential to improve both hematologic and molecular outcomes.”
PharmaEssentia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Albert Qin, described the upcoming ASCO presentation as a significant moment for the company and the broader hematology community. “We are eager to share the full findings from SURPASS-ET, which underscore the promise of ropeginterferon as a non-chemotherapy option for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms,” said Qin. “This presentation reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing treatment options for patients with limited choices.”
With the spotlight on this new data at ASCO 2025, PharmaEssentia aims to further position ropeginterferon as a next-generation treatment for ET and a meaningful alternative for patients in need of more effective, targeted therapies.
