Publications

Long-term safety and efficacy of upadacitinib in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate response to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 5-year results from the SELECT-SUNRISE randomised controlled trial

RMD Open 2025;11:e006213 Doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2025-006213

Kameda H,

Takeuchi T,

Yamaoka K,

Oribe M,

Kawano M,

Konishi Y,

Chonan S,

Ikeda K,

Camp HS,

Tanaka Y

Kameda et al. reported that UPA treatment sustained efficacy with no new safety signals identified through 5 years of treatment and is a long-term treatment option for Japanese patients with RA and an inadequate response to csDMARDs. Authors present the full 5-year efficacy and safety data for upadacitinib obtained in the SELECT-SUNRISE study.

Keywords:

• EULAR,
• LTE,
• Outcomes,
• Safety,
• Upadacitinib

MACE and VTE across Upadacitinib Clinical Trial Programmes in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

RMD Open 2023; 9(4):e003392 doi 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003392

Charles-Schoeman C,

Choy E,

McInnes IB,

Mysler E,

Nash P,

Yamaoka K,

Lippe R,

Khan N,

Shmagel AK,

Palac H,

Suboticki J,

Curtis JR

Rates of MACE and VTE events in patients with RA or PsA treated are consistent across 15 mg and 30 mg doses of upadacitinib, and comparable with active comparators adalimumab and MTX. Several risk factors were also identified for MACE and VTE events in patients with RA.

Keywords:

• Baricitinib,
• Cardiovascular,
• JAK,
• MTX,
• Outcomes,
• Phase 3,
• Remission,
• Safety,
• Tofacitinib,
• Upadacitinib

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

Fleischmann R,

Curtis JR,

Charles-Schoeman C,

Mysler E,

Yamaoka K,

Richez C,

Palac H,

Dilley D,

Liu J,

Strengholt S,

Burmester G

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.

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Phase 3,
• Safety,
• Cardiovascular

Malignancy Risk with Tofacitinib versus TNF Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from the Open-Label, Randomised Controlled Oral Surveillance Trial

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023;82(3):331–343 doi: 10.1136/ard-2022-222543

Curtis JR,

Yamaoka K,

Chen YH,

Bhatt DL,

Gunay LM,

Sugiyama N,

Connell CA,

Wang C,

Wu J,

Menon S,

Vranic I,

Gómez-Reino JJ

Results from the open-label, randomised controlled ORAL Surveillance trial find increased risk of malignancies with tofacitinib versus TNFi, highlighting the highest incidence in patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or increasing cardiovascular risk.

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Safety,
• Malignancy

Clinical Management of Herpes Zoster in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis or Psoriatic Arthritis Receiving Tofacitinib Treatment

Rheumatol Ther. 2021. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s40744-021-00390-0

Winthrop KL,

Curtis JR,

Yamaoka K,

Lee EB,

Hirose T,

Rivas JL,

Kwok K,

Burmester GR

This post hoc analysis provides the first detailed description of the management and outcomes of HZ events in tofacitinib RA and PsA clinical studies.While prior studies have characterised the increased HZ risk with JAKinibs, the clinical management of these events has not been detailed.To this end, Winthrop, et al. analysed data from 21 RA and 3 PsA clinical studies to evaluate how HZ events and their sequelae were clinically managed during the RA and PsA tofacitinib clinical development progra...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tildrakizumab,
• Safety,
• Infections

Incidence and risk factors for herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving upadacitinib: a pooled analysis of six phase III clinical trials

Ann Rheum Dis. 2021. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220822.

Winthrop KL,

Nash P,

Yamaoka K,

Mysler E,

Khan N,

Camp HS,

Song Y,

Suboticki JL,

Curtis JR

JAKinibs have been linked with an increased risk of HZ in patients with RA. To this end, Winthrop, et al. evaluated data from six Phase III clinical trials to determine the incidence of HZ in the upadacitinib (UPA)-treated patients with RA and identify potential risk factors for the development of HZ in these patients.Analysis of data provides further support for the need for continued vigilance and monitoring for signs of herpes zoster (HZ) in patients receiving UPA, particularly in Asian popul...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Phase 3,
• Safety,
• Meta analysis,
• Infections

Herpes Zoster and Tofacitinib: Clinical Outcomes and the Risk of Concomitant Therapy

Arthritis Rheumatol 2017;69(10):1960–68

Winthrop KL,

Curtis JR,

Lindsey S,

Tanaka Y,

Yamaoka K,

Valdez H,

Hirose T,

Nduaka CI,

Wang L,

Mendelsohn AM,

Fan H,

Chen C,

Bananis E

The results of this analysis of patients with herpes zoster (HZ) within the global tofacitinib (TOF) RA programme suggest that there is likely to be a greater HZ risk in patients receiving TOF and glucocorticoids compared with patients receiving TOF monotherapy.The global TOF RA development programme comprised 2 Phase 1, 9 Phase 2, 6 Phase 3 and 2 long-term extension studies. These studies included 6192 patients; data were reviewed to identify cases of HZ. Crude incidence rates of number of pati...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Safety,
• Infections

Discontinuation of Tofacitinib after achieving Low Disease Activity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Multicentere, Observational Study

Rheumatology. Doi 10.1093/rheumatology/kex068

Kubo S,

Yamaoka K,

Amano K,

Nagano S,

Tohma S,

Suematsu E,

Nagasawa H,

Iwata K and Tanaka Y

This study showed that in patients who achieved low disease activity (LDA), it is possible to discontinue tofacitinib without flare in approximately one-third of patients. Patients from the tofacitinib Phase 3 programme and long-term extension study were enroled. Discontinuation was based on physician-patient decision making with informed consent. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who remained tofacitinib free at post-treatment Week 52. Of 64 patients treated with tofacitinib w...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Real-World

Effects of tofacitinib on lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis: relation to efficacy and infectious adverse events

Rheumatology doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ket466

Sonomoto K,

Yamaoka K,

Kubo S et al

Due to its function as a JAK1/3 inhibitor, tofacitinib has effects on a wide ranging variety of cells. The authors of this paper have previously reported a suppression in cytokine production by CD4+ T lymphocytes caused by tofacitinib, while others have reported reduced chemokine production from fibroblast-like synoviocytes. The effects of tofacitinib on other cells however remain largely unknown. This study focused on tofacitinib’s effects on CD4+ T lymphocyte proliferation and on subsets of ly...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Preclinical,
• Safety,
• MOA

The JAK inhibitor, tofacitinib, reduces the t cell stimulatory capacity of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Ann Rheum Dis 2013. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203756

Kubo S,

Yamaoka K,

Kondo M,

et al.

The role of JAKs is highly important in lymphocyte differentiation, but their function in dendritic cells in unknown. In this study, the authors used tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, to assess the function of these kinases in dendritic cell activity. The results show that tofacitinib reduced the expression of CD80/CD86 by suppressing the activation of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-7 and production of type 1 interferon (IFN), and also decreased T cell stimulatory capability. This suggests a nov...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Preclinical,
• MOA