Impact Biomedicines to resurrect abandoned myelofibrosis drug

US biotech start-up Impact Biomedicines announced its launch to pioneer the development of life-changing treatments for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, a rare form of blood cancer, and other cancers.

The company’s pipeline is centered around fedratinib, a potent and highly selective oral small molecule JAK2 kinase inhibitor that is being developed initially for the treatment of myelofibrosis (MF) and polycythemia vera (PV).

In conjunction with this launch, Impact that the US Food and Drug Administration has removed the clinical hold placed on fedratinib and that the company has received $22.5 million from Medicxi through a Series A financing. The majority equity holders in Impact include the co-founders and Medicxi, with Sanofi retaining a minority stake.