Publications

Comparison of the effects of baricitinib and tocilizumab on disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a propensity score matching analysis

Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jun 16. DOI: 10.1007/s10067-021-05815-3

Asai S,

Takahashi N,

Kobayakawa T,

Kaneko A,

Watanabe T,

Kato T,

Nishiume T,

Ishikawa H,

Yoshioka Y,

Kanayama Y,

Watanabe T,

Hirano Y,

Hanabayashi M,

Yabe Y,

Yokota Y,

Suzuki M,

Terabe K,

Ishiguro N,

Imagama S,

Kojima T.

The influence of inflammation on patient global assessment (PGA) improvements differs between baricitinib and tocilizumab differs. Adequate PGA improvement remains one of the unmet needs in current RA treatment.Asai, et al. compared the effects of baricitinib and tocilizumab on disease activity in patients with RA while investigating the influence of inflammation on PGA improvement.Using data from a multicentre registry, 48 propensity-matched pairs of patients, who had been observed for longer t...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• IL-6,
• Baricitinib,
• Tocilizumab,
• Efficacy

Tofacitinib versus tocilizumab in the treatment of biological-naïve or previous biological-failure patients with methotrexate-refractory active rheumatoid arthritis

RMD Open. 2021;7(2):e001601.

Mori S,

Urata Y,

Yoshitama T,

Ueki Y.

Findings from a multicentre cohort study in Japan provide important information that is expected to aid in determining the position of tofacitinib in the treatment algorithm for RA.Mori S, et al. compared therapeutic outcomes, from real-world registries, at 12 months between tofacitinib-treated and tocilizumab-treated patients to clarify whether tofacitinib should only be considered as an option for patients who have either failed to respond to at least one bDMARD or are MTX-resistant/-intoleran...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• IL-6,
• Tofacitinib,
• Tocilizumab,
• Efficacy,
• Safety

Efficacy of baricitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis with 3 years of treatment: results from a long-term study

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021;60(5):2256-2266.

Smolen JS,

Xie L,

Jia B,

Taylor PC,

Burmester G,

Tanaka Y,

Elias A,

Cardoso A,

Ortmann R,

Walls C,

Dougados M.

Baricitinib 4mg may be considered for long-term treatment of early and refractory rheumatoid arthritis following results demonstrating efficacy and tolerability for up to 3 years.Smolen JS, et al. analysed data from two completed 52-week, phase III studies, RA-BEGIN (DMARD-naïve) and RA-BEAM (MTX-IR), and one ongoing long-term extension study (RA-BEYOND) – providing data for 148 weeks in total. Results demonstrated that the long-term maintenance of clinically relevant treatment goals, including ...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Baricitinib,
• LTE,
• Efficacy

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

Comparative efficacy and safety of secukinumab, ixekizumab, and tofacitinib in patients with active psoriatic arthritis showing insufficient response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021. Epub ahead of print.

Song GG,

Lee YH.

Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) highlights the effectiveness of secukinumab, ixekizumab, and tofacitinib in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and an inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi).There is a current need for therapies with alternative mechanisms of actions to DMARDs and TNFi, for the significant proportion of patients with PsA who insufficiently respond to these therapies. While RCTs for therapies such as secukinumab a...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• IL-17,
• Secukinumab,
• Tofacitinib,
• Efficacy,
• Safety

Trial of Upadacitinib and Adalimumab for Psoriatic Arthritis

N Engl J Med. 2021;384(13):1227-1239.

McInnes IB,

Anderson JK,

Magrey M,

Merola JF,

Liu Y,

Kishimoto M,

Jeka S,

Pacheco- Tena C,

Wang X,

Chen L,

Zueger P,

Liu J,

Pangan AL,

Behrens F.

Upadacitinib efficacy proves to be greater than placebo, and non-inferior to adalimumab, in treating patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Already approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, McInnes, et al. studied oral upadacitinib at a dose of 15 mg or 30 mg, alongside placebo or adalimumab, in this 24-week, Phase III trial, in over 1700 patients with PsA. At the primary endpoint (Week 12), ACR20 response was greater with upadacitinib than placebo, and non-inferior to adalimumab; wi...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Updacitinib,
• Review

JAK selectivity and the implications for clinical inhibition of pharmacodynamic cytokine signalling by filgotinib, upadacitinib, tofacitinib and baricitinib

Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 Mar 19:annrheumdis-2020-219012. Epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-219012

Traves PG,

Murray B,

Campigotto F,

Galien R,

Meng A,

Di Paolo JA

The first study to combine in vitro inhibition of cytokine responses in whole blood with clinical pharmacokinetics of individual JAKinibs to model daily cytokine-mediated pharmacodynamic profiles in healthy individuals and patients with RA, has demonstrated that JAKinib potencies depended on cytokine stimulus, pSTAT readout and cell type.Traves and colleagues have observed that JAKinibs have unique, differential effects on specific cytokine signalling pathways, dependent on cytokine stimulus, ST...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Basic Science,
• MOA

Filgotinib, a Novel JAK1-Preferential Inhibitor for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview from Clinical Trials

Mod Rheumatol. 2021 Mar 19:1-26. Epub ahead of print. DOI 10.1080/14397595.2021.1902617

Tanaka Y,

Kavanaugh A,

Wicklund J,

McInnes IB

Filgotinib is the latest JAKinib to enter the international market for the treatment of RA, receiving regulatory approval in Japan and Europe late last year. In this review paper, Tanaka Y et al. examine the clinical evidence supporting its use as a later-line treatment, in accordance with international RA management guidelines, and provide their expert opinions on JAKinibs from a clinical perspective.The core clinical programme evaluating filgotinib in patients with moderately-to-severely activ...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Fenebrutinib,
• Review

Safety and Efficacy of Filgotinib: Up to 4-Year Results From an Open-Label Extension Study of Phase 2 Rheumatoid Arthritis Programs

J Rheumatol. 2021 Feb 1:jrheum.201183. DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.201183.

Kavanaugh A,

Westhovens RR,

Winthrop KL,

Lee SJ,

Tan Y,

An D,

Ye L,

Sundy JS,

Besuyen R,

Meuleners L,

Stanislavchuk M,

Spindler AJ,

Greenwald M,

Alten R,

Genovese MC

A long-term extension study of filgotinib showed consistent safety profile and sustained efficacy with the drug for up to four years. The DARWIN 3 study, for patients who previously completed either the 24-week DARWIN 1 study (filgotinib + MTX) or the DARWIN 2 study (filgotinib monotherapy), enrolled 739 patients with RA. At the time of analysis, 440 patients had received four years or more of filgotinib. Exposure-adjusted incidence rate per 100 patient-years-of-exposure for TEAEs was 24.6 in th...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Fenebrutinib,
• Phase 2,
• LTE

Upadacitinib Monotherapy Versus Methotrexate Monotherapy in Methotrexate-naïve Japanese Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Sub-analysis of The Phase 3 SELECT-EARLY study

Mod Rheumatol 2021;26:1–16.

Takeuchi T,

Rischmueller M,

Blanco R,

Xavier RM,

Ueki Y,

Atsumi T,

Chen S,

Friedman A,

Pangan AL,

Strand V,

van Vollenhoven RF

In this sub-analysis of the Phase 3 SELECT-EARLY study, UPA demonstrated clinical efficacy superior to placebo in the Japanese subpopulation. Along with a favourable efficacy observed with the Japan-specific 7.5 mg dose of UPA for all secondary endpoints. SELECT-EARLY was designed to study the safety and efficacy of UPA 15 and 30mg as monotherapy, but it also included a subset of 138 Japanese patients, 40% of whom were randomised to receive UPA 7.5mg. This was designed to meet the requirements o...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Updacitinib,
• Phase 3