Vol 55, No 3 (2024)
Review article
Published online: 2024-06-30

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Current status of hydroxyurea in treatment of polycythemia vera

Weronika Marzena Lebowa12, Anna Ignatowicz3, Julia Ząber3, Tomasz Sacha1
Acta Haematol Pol 2024;55(3):145-150.

Abstract

Hydroxyurea (HU) is a first-line pharmacotherapy drug used in high-risk patients with polycythemia vera (PV). It has a good tolerability profile, a convenient oral formulation, and a low price. With the increasing availability of other therapeutic options for PV patients, there is a need to redefine the place of HU formulations in the treatment of this condition, and to consider the current criteria for resistance and intolerance to this drug, which may help in accurate decision-making about modifying cytoreductive treatment in PV. This article presents the general characteristics of HU, its position in the therapeutic pathway of PV patients, and the modified resistance and intolerance criteria for this drug.

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