Novartis announced results from the pivotal Phase III clinical trial demonstrating Jakavi® (ruxolitinib) significantly improved hematocrit control without the need for phlebotomy (a procedure to remove blood from the body to reduce the concentration of red blood cells) and reduced spleen size in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) who had an inadequate response to or unacceptable side effects from hydroxyurea as defined according to the modified European LeukemiaNet (ELN) criteria, which is published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In PV, hematocrit control and spleen size reduction are key measures of a patient's response to therapy.