Study summary

Rusfertide nearly eliminated phlebotomies in an earlier trial

REVIVE trial (rusfertide) · 70 people, phase 2 · Published February 2024, New England Journal of Medicine

60%responded in the randomized phase, vs 17% with placebo

What was tested

Rusfertide added to standard care, with a randomized withdrawal phase against placebo, for polycythemia vera needing frequent phlebotomies.

What they found

Phlebotomies fell from 8.7 a year before treatment to 0.6 a year on rusfertide.
In the randomized phase, 60% responded vs 17% on placebo.
No grade 4 or 5 side effects.

What it means

Laid the groundwork for the phase 3 VERIFY trial.

N Engl J Med, via PubMed ↗ ← Back to the outlook

Last reviewed 2026-11-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.