In a real-world setting, tofacitinib and baricitinib have comparable continuing efficacies and safety profiles in patients with RA.It is important to determine the differences and similarities of JAK inhibitors in a real-world setting so that the optimal agent can be administered. However, until now, no published data of a direct comparison among these agents in RA have been available. With this in mind, Iwamoto, et al. compared the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib with those of baricitinib by...

September 2015

The oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, Tofacitinib, preferentially inhibits signalling by heterodimeric receptors associated with JAK3 and/or JAK1, blocking signalling for several cytokines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of tofacitinib monotherapy versus placebo in Japanese patients with inadequate response to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Data on response rates – ACR20/50/70, DAS28-4(ESR), and HAQ-DI – laboratory parameters and adverse events were col...

January 2015

In Japan, the biologic DMARDs infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab and certolizumab pegol, as well as tocilizumab and abatacept are approved for use in patients with active RA and an inadequate response to existing therapies. However, not all patients respond to these therapies adequately, creating an unmet need for therapeutic options with alternative mechanisms of action.

The oral JAK inhibitor tofacitinib has demonstrated efficacy as monotherapy or in combination with DMARDs ...