July 2023

Tofacitinib Reduces Spinal Inflammation in Vertebral Bodies and Posterolateral Elements in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Results from a Phase 2 Trial

Rheumatol Ther. 2023 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00564-y Epub ahead of print

Tofacitinib treatment is associated with a significant improvement in CANDEN MRI scores of spinal inflammation in axSpA patients. This study by Østergaard, et al. also validates the CANDEN MRI scoring system as an approach for measuring axSpA-associated inflammatory lesions.

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Pain and Inflammation as Mediators of Tofacitinib Treatment Effect on Fatigue in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Mediation Analysis

Rheumatol Ther. 2023 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00570-0 Epub ahead of print

Kristensen, et al. used mediation modelling to show that tofacitinib indirectly improved fatigue symptoms via back pain and morning stiffness. This study was carried out using FACIT-F- and BASDAI Q1-based models to determine the relationship between these variables.

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Improvement in Patient-reported Outcomes and Work Productivity Following 3-year Ustekinumab or Tumour Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Treatment in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: Results from the PsABio Real-world Study

Arthritis Res Ther. 2023 Jun 23;25(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-03058-y

Results from the 3-year PsABio study demonstrated that, generally, ustekinumab and TNFi treatment led to an improvement in PROs. In coming to this conclusion, researchers aimed to evaluate the real-world effect of ustekinumab or a TNFi on PRO and their association with effectiveness endpoints in PsA patients over 3 years.

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Apremilast Long‑Term Safety Up to 5 Years from 15 Pooled Randomized, placebo‑Controlled Studies of Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Behçet’s Syndrome

Am J Clin Dermatol. 2023 Jun 14:1–12 doi: 10.1007/s40257-023-00783-7 Epub ahead of print

This study confirms the safety of long-term apremilast use in patients with plaque PsO, active PsA, or oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s syndrome. In coming to this conclusion, investigators conducted a pooled analysis of apremilast data from 15 clinical studies with open-label extension phases, focusing on long-term safety.

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Baricitinib in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: An International, Phase 3, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Withdrawal, Efficacy, and Safety Trial

Lancet. 2023 S0140-6736(23)00921-2 doi 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00921-2 Epub ahead of print

Phase 3 trial of baricitinib demonstrates efficacy with acceptable safety profile in polyarticular and extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile psoriatic arthritis and enthesitis-related arthritis.

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Comparative Effectiveness of First-Line Baricitinib in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Australian OPAL Data Set

ACR Open Rheumatol. 2023 doi 10.1002/acr2.11577 Epub ahead of print.

Cicirello, et al. present results showing that baricitinib is comparable in treatment persistence with TNF inhibitors. However, treatment persistence up to 24 months was significantly longer for baricitinib, but the effect size of one month is not clinically meaningful.

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Post Hoc Analysis of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Under Clinical Remission in Two Japanese Phase 3 Trials of Peficitinib Treatment (RAJ3 and RAJ4)

Mod Rheumatol. 2023 doi: 10.1093/mr/road059 Epub ahead of print

Pots hoc analysis of peficitinib phase 3 trials shows that continued treatment with peficitinib up to Week 52 is linked to improved remission rates in Asian patients with RA.

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Tofacitinib versus Methotrexate as the First-line Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial

doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.14801 Epub ahead of print

This single-centre study by Khan, et al. suggests that high-dose methotrexate (25 mg/week, subcutaneously) may be as efficacious as tofacitinib in patients with established RA who are DMARD naïve or have not received a therapeutic dose of DMARDs.

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Safety profile of upadacitinib in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease: integrated post hoc analysis of the SELECT phase III rheumatoid arthritis clinical programme

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023 doi: 10.1136/ard-2023-223916

Pots hoc analysis of safety data in patients with RA at increased risk of CV events from the upadacitinib SELECT phase III RA clinical programme helps to contextualise the overall risk profile of upadacitinib.

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