FDA approval of GSK’s Ojjaara in myelofibrosis introduces a new competitor to blockbuster Incyte drug Jakafi. Ojjaara was part of GSK’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology last year.

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum is acquiring CTI Biopharma in a $1.7 billion deal centered on the biotech’s commercialized drug for the blood cancer myelofibrosis. Sobi says the drug, Vonjo, complements one of its own assets approved for a different blood disorder.

MorphoSys’s emphasis on its clinical-stage cancer programs puts the spotlight on a myelofibrosis drug candidate from its 2021 acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals. That small molecule could compete against drug candidates from GSK and Merck.

Merck is acquiring Imago BioSciences, a clinical-stage biotech whose lead drug is in development for myelofibrosis and other blood cancers. The deal gives the pharmaceutical giant a small molecule that could provide an alternative to a class of drugs that introduce dangerous side effects.

GlaxoSmithKline is further building out its cancer drug portfolio by acquiring Sierra Oncology, a biotech whose FDA-ready myelofibrosis drug has clinical data showing advantages over a blockbuster product marketed by Incyte. The deal comes as GSK prepares a spinoff of its consumer products as part of a broader strategy to hone its focus on specialty medicines and vaccines.

Sierra Oncology myelofibrosis drug momelotinib achieved the main and secondary goals of a pivotal test and the biotech now plans to seek FDA approval. Sierra acquired momelotinib from Gilead Sciences after that company stopped work on the drug due to mixed results in Phase 3 testing.

The agency said Friday that it had approved Celgene’s Inrebic (fedratinib), the first new drug approved for the disease – a type of rare blood cancer – since the approval of Incyte’s Jakafi.