Tofacitinib in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, withdrawal phase 3 randomised trial

Lancet. 2021;398(10315):1984–96

Ruperto N,

Brunner HI,

Synoverska O,

Ting TV,

Mendoza CA,

Spindler A,

et al.

Pivotal trial data show that tofacitinib is an effective treatment in patients with polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA).New oral therapies are particularly relevant for children and adolescents, who might prefer to avoid injections. To this end, Ruperto, et al. assessed the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib versus placebo in patients with pJIA (N=225). They observed a JIA flare rate at Week 44 of 29% and 53% for tofacitinib and placebo, respectively. Safety results were si...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Tofacitinib,
• Phase 3

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

Upadacitinib in patients with psoriatic arthritis and an inadequate response to non-biological therapy: 56-week data from the phase 3 SELECT-PsA 1 study

RMD Open. 2021;7(3):e001838

McInnes IB,

Kato K,

Magrey M,

Merola JF,

Kishimoto M,

Pacheco-Tena C,

Haaland D,

Chen L,

Duan Y,

Zueger P,

Liu J,

Lippe R,

Pangan AL,

Behrens F

Analysis of data over 56 weeks shows that efficacy responses are maintained with upadacitinib 15 mg and 30 mg.Following the publication of 12-week data from the Phase III, randomised double-blind, SELECT-PsA 1 study, earlier this year, McInnes, et al. now report the 56-week efficacy and safety data of upadacitinib 15 mg and 30 mg in patients with PsA and an inadequate response to non-biological therapyEfficacy responses and inhibition of radiographic progression were maintained with upadacitinib...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Phase 3

Ozanimod as induction therapy and maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis

N Engl J Med 2021;385:1280–91 doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2033617

Sandborn WJ,

Feagan BG,

D’Haens G,

Wolf DC,

Jovanovic I,

Hanauer SB,

Ghosh S,

Petersen A,

Hua SY,

Lee JH,

Charles L,

Chitkara D,

Usiskin K,

Colombel JF,

Laine L,

Danese S,

True North Study Group

Patients receiving ozanimod displayed a significant improvement in clinical response and all secondary endpoints during both the 10-week induction and 52-week maintenance study periods. Percentage of patients achieving clinical remission at Weeks 10 and 52 was the primary endpoint.

Keywords:

• Efficacy,
• GI,
• Phase 3,
• Safety

Efficacy and safety of filgotinib in methotrexate-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis with poor prognostic factors: post hoc analysis of FINCH 3

RMD Open. 2021;7(2):e001621.

Aletaha D,

Westhovens R,

Gaujoux-Viala C,

Adami G,

Matsumoto A,

Bird P,

Messina OD,

Buch MH,

Bartok B,

Yin Z,

Guo Y,

Hendrikx T,

Burmester GR.

Post hoc analysis of the phase III FINCH study shows that filgotinib may be an alternative treatment option for patients with RA who have poor prognostic factors (PPFs), especially those not responding to standard treatment such as methotrexate (MTX).PPFs are associated with severe disease and risk for disease progression in patients with RA. Consequently, the 2019 EULAR management guidelines for RA recommend early treatment escalation for patients with PPFs who have inadequate response to first...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Fenebrutinib,
• Efficacy,
• Safety,
• Phase 3

Upadacitinib Monotherapy Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From SELECT-EARLY and SELECT-MONOTHERAPY

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021;60(7):3209–21

Strand V,

Tundia N,

Wells A,

Buch MH,

Radominski SC,

Camp HS,

Friedman A,

Suboticki JL,

Dunlap K,

Goldschmidt D,

Bergman M.

Upadacitinib treatment results in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in health-related quality of life.Strand, et al. evaluated the effect of upadacitinib monotherapy versus methotrexate (MTX) on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in MTX-naïve and MTX-inadequate responder patients with moderately-to-severely active RA. Their research from the SELECT-EARLY and SELECT-MONOTHERAPY randomised controlled trials found that upadacitinib monotherapy resulted in clinically mean...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Phase 3,
• PRO / QoL

Upadacitinib in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis and Inadequate Response to Biologics: 56-Week Data from the Randomized Controlled Phase 3 SELECT-PsA 2 Study

Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8(2):903–919

Mease PJ,

Lertratanakul A,

Papp KA,

van den Bosch FE,

Tsuji S,

Dokoupilova E,

Keiserman MW,

Bu X,

Chen L,

McCaskill RM,

Zueger P,

McDearmon-Blondell EL,

Pangan AL,

Tillett W.

Fifty-six-week data suggest that upadacitinib could be a favourable long-term treatment option in patients with PsA who are refractory to biologic therapy.As the need for additional therapeutic agents that can effectively control disease activity continues, new data from a 56-week analysis of the oral reversible JAK1 inhibitor, upadacitinib, currently under investigation for the treatment of PsA, shows that efficacy of the drug is maintained over the duration of this study.Mease, et al. explored...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Phase 3,
• Safety,
• Efficacy

Bimekizumab versus adalimumab in plaque psoriasis

N Engl J Med 2021; 385:130–41. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2102388

Warren RB,

Blauvelt A,

Bagel J,

Papp KA,

Yamauchi P,

Armstrong A,

Langley RG,

Vanvoorden V,

De Cuyper D,

Cioffi C,

Peterson L,

Cross N,

Reich K

Bimekizumab was noninferior and superior to adalimumab with respect to PASI 90 response and IGA score at Week 16. Bimekizumab is a promising IL-17A/F inhibitor that has shown clinical improvement in PsO patients compared to placebo and other IL inhibitors. Warren et al. compared the safety and efficacy of bimekizumab with adalimumab in a 56-week double-blind trial.

Keywords:

• Bimekizumab,
• Efficacy,
• Phase 3,
• Safety,
• Skin

Efficacy of Long-Term Treatment with Once-Daily Baricitinib 2 mg in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: Post Hoc Analysis of Two 24-Week, Phase III, Randomized, Controlled Studies and One Long-Term Extension Study

Wells AF, et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2021. Epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1007/s40744-021-00317-9.

Wells AF,

Jia B,

Xie L,

Valenzuela GJ,

Keystone EC,

Li Z,

Quebe AK,

Griffing K,

Otawa S,

Haraoui B.

Analysis by Wells, et al. demonstrates long-term efficacy and tolerability of baricitinib 2 mg daily for up to 120 weeks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Using data from two completed phase III studies, RA-BEAM (csDMARD-IR patients) and RA-BEACON (TNFi-IR patients), and one ongoing long-term extension study (RA-BEYOND), results demonstrated that the long-term maintenance of clinically relevant treatment goals, including LDA, remission and normative physical function, is achievable with bari...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Baricitinib,
• Efficacy,
• LTE,
• Phase 3

Conversion of Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue to Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue Scores in Two Phase III Baricitinib Rheumatoid Arthritis Trials

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2021;73(4):481-488.

Bingham CO 3rd,

Bartlett SJ,

Kannowski C,

Sun L,

DeLozier AM,

Cella D.

Study shows that conversions from FACIT-F to PROMIS Fatigue are feasible and applicable for RA clinical trials.The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F), developed for use in cancer patients, has been validated for measuring fatigue in RA, and is often the tool used in European clinical trials; with 10 out of its 13 items being relevant for patients with RA. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), developed and calibrated in the United ...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Baricitinib,
• Phase 3,
• PRO / QoL