August 2023

A JAK Inhibitor for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Baricitinib Experience

J. Clin. Med. 2023;12(13):4527 doi 10.3390/jcm12134527

This review by Taylor, et al. reviews the long-term safety and efficacy data for baricitinib. Results from several studies showed that baricitinib has greater efficacy and survival compared to TNF inhibitors, and that the rate of CDAI <10 for baricitinib-treated RA patients increased over the course of seven years. Data also showed that remission rates were higher in real-world evidence than in RCTs.

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July 2023

Effect of Upadacitinib on Disease Activity, Pain, Fatigue, Function, Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Productivity for Biologic Refractory Ankylosing Spondylitis

Rheumatol Ther 2023; 10:679–91 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00536-2

Upadacitinib significantly improved patient-reported outcomes in AxSpA patients with bDMARD-IR after 14 Weeks of treatment. There were notable improvements in disease activity, pain, fatigue, function, HRQoL, and work productivity.

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Effect of Intravenous Golimumab on Fatigue and the Relationship with Clinical Response in Adults with Active Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Phase 3 GO-ALIVE Study

Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(4):983–999 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00556-y

Administration of IV-golimumab 2 mg/kg improves fatigue symptoms in axial spondylitis in a 52 Week study. At Week 16 of treatment, improvements in ASAS, ASDAS, BASDAI and SF-36 scores were observed at week 16 of treatment.

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

Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(4):1001–1020 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00564-y

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;10(4):1073–1087 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00570-0

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;24(5):809-820 doi: 10.1007/s40257-023-00783-7

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;402(10401):555–570 doi 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00921-2

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;5(7):345-353 doi 10.1002/acr2.11577

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;34(3):453–65 doi: 10.1093/mr/road059

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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