Decision brief · what the records say, not our assessment
Effect of Ruxolitinib on Tumor Infiltrating Myeloid Cells
NCT03274778 · Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland · NA · withdrawn · Open Targets disease: prostate cancer · Why it stopped
Six questions a reader deciding whether to spend more time on this asks, each answered with flags: yes, no, or not published (hatched), each with its rule and source record. Flags are never added up into a score or a verdict, because published success rates disagree by a factor of two and more.
1. Is the biology right?
- Somatic driver evidence: no · None of JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 has somatic-mutation evidence in prostate cancerRule: Open Targets has somatic-mutation evidence for the target in this cancer. Source: Open Targets: JAK1 in prostate cancer, 2026-11-11
- Human genetic evidence: no · No germline or somatic evidence for JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 in prostate cancerRule: Any germline or somatic human genetic evidence for the target in this cancer, counted apart from animal-model and literature evidence. Source: Open Targets: JAK1 in prostate cancer, 2026-11-11
- Pediatric target: yes · JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 on the FDA listRule: Target is on FDA's Pediatric Molecular Target List (relevant targets); membership alone neither requires nor waives a study. Source: FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)), 2026-11-11
- Haematologic cancer: no · Solid tumourRule: From the indication, or the registry conditions when no indication matches. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11Published context: Likelihood of approval from phase 1: 7.5% haematologic vs 4.6% solid (BIO / Informa / QLS 2021, 2011–2020). Population-level, not a prediction.
- JAK1 (via Ruxolitinib): Evidence types in prostate cancer: literature, clinical; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: clinical_precedence, europepmc. · Open Targets: JAK1 in prostate cancer
- JAK2 (via Ruxolitinib): Evidence types in prostate cancer: literature, clinical; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: clinical_precedence, europepmc. · Open Targets: JAK2 in prostate cancer
- JAK3 (via Ruxolitinib): Evidence types in prostate cancer: literature, clinical; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: clinical_precedence, europepmc. · Open Targets: JAK3 in prostate cancer
- Not loaded on this app yet: Normal-tissue expression in vital organs. Source: Human Protein Atlas (ticket 36).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Pan-essential in cell lines. Source: DepMap (ticket 36).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Approved drug on this target. Source: Drugs@FDA (ticket 30).
2. Can the result be trusted?
- Randomised: no · Single groupRule: Registry allocation field. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11
- Small denominator: yes · 0 enrolled; each patient moves a rate by 100 ÷ 0 = – pointsRule: Enrolment under 30; the arithmetic is shown, not a benchmark. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11
- Primary endpoint is overall survival: no · Tumor immune responseRule: A registered primary outcome measure names overall survival. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11Published context: Non-OS primary endpoint: odds ratio 2.79 for a positive phase 3 (Otsuka 2021, 400 phase 3 oncology trials, to 2020). Shown with the next figure: a surrogate is easier to hit, and often a weak guide to survival.Published context: 52% of surrogate-to-OS correlations are low (Prasad 2015, published to 2014). Shown with the figure above.
- Results overdue: yes · Primary completion 2020-03-24, 79 months ago; no results postedRule: Primary completion (actual) more than 12 months ago and no results posted to the registry. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11Published context: 40.9% of applicable trials report results within a year (Results-reporting studies summarised in spec §11, all therapy areas). All areas, not oncology only.
- Not loaded on this app yet: Treated and evaluable counts, assessor, confirmed response, follow-up and data cutoff. Source: Readout extraction (ticket 32).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Primary endpoint changed between registry versions. Source: Registry versions in the store (ticket 32).
3. What must it beat?
- Not loaded on this app yet: Control-arm result and approved therapies for the same segment, with label links. Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA labels and readouts (tickets 30, 32).
4. Too crowded, or too late?
- Stopped on this target: 130 terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of drugs against JAK1; 13 give no reason. Reasons are quoted as the registry gives them on the target page. · JAK1: what already stopped
- Not loaded on this app yet: Programs on the target by phase and months behind the leader. Source: Programs and Drugs@FDA (ticket 33).
5. Can it be approved, and stay approved?
- Single-country: yes · The only site is in SwitzerlandRule: All listed sites are in one country; the share of US sites is shown. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778, 2026-11-11
- EU paediatric investigation plan: yes · EMEA-002618-PIP02-20-M01 (ruxolitinib (phosphate), Treatment of vitiligo): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 12 Apr 2024; EMEA-002618-PIP04-23 (ruxolitinib (phosphate), Treatment of prurigo nodularis): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 31 Jan 2024; EMEA-000901-PIP04-17-M02 (ruxolitinib (phosphate), Treatment of chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 3 Dec 2021; compliance positive 13 Oct 2023; EMEA-000901-PIP03-16-M02 (ruxolitinib (phosphate), Treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 9 Apr 2021; compliance positive 13 Oct 2023; +1 moreRule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- EU orphan designation: yes · EU/3/14/1244 withdrawn 19 Feb 2014: Treatment of polycythaemia veraRule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA EU/3/14/1244, 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: yes · Ruxolitinib Zentiva: opinion; Opzelura: authorised since 19 Apr 2023; Jakavi: authorised since 23 Aug 2012Rule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the linkRule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
- FDA pediatric oncology approval: no · FDA's table lists no pediatric approval of RuxolitinibRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 118 interventional studies of Ruxolitinib include patients under 18; 55 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or activeRule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-11
- Caveat: Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where the sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality.
- Cited case: In February 2022 FDA asked its Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee whether sintilimab's application, resting on ORIENT-11, a phase 3 run only in China, needed further trials showing it applies to US patients and US practice. One case, not a rule. · FDA, ODAC 10 Feb 2022, draft questions
- Rare pediatric disease voucher: FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. · FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
- Not loaded on this app yet: Precedent approvals for target, modality and endpoint; accelerated-approval status. Source: Drugs@FDA and FDA accelerated-approval tables (ticket 30).
6. Can the sponsor finish?
- Sponsor: Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (academic or other) · ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778
- study director: Andrea Alimonti, Prof., Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) · Person page
- Not loaded on this app yet: Filed cash, quarterly spend and the runway arithmetic. Source: SEC XBRL company facts (ticket 37).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Sponsor's completed vs stopped oncology trials and results-reporting record. Source: Registry, by company (ticket 37).
What public data cannot tell you
Public records cannot show: sales forecasts; a probability of success for this asset; full deal terms and net prices; FDA designations and action dates before approval (shown only as company-reported); clinical holds unless the company disclosed them; manufacturing; patents on unapproved drugs; whether preclinical findings have been replicated.
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03274778 (2026-11-11); Open Targets Platform (2026-11-11); FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)) (2026-11-11). JSON: /api/brief/trial/NCT03274778. Not medical advice.