Publications

Efficacy and Safety of Biological DMARDs: A Systematic Literature Review Informing the 2022 Update of the ASAS-EULAR Recommendations for the Management of Axial Spondyloarthritis

Ann Rheum Dis 2022; online ahead of print doi:10.1136/ard-2022-223298

Webers C,

Ortolan A,

Sepriano A,

Falzon L,

Baraliakos X,

Landewé RBM,

Ramiro S,

van der Heijde D,

Nikiphorou E

New evidence supports the efficacy and safety of TNFi (originators/biosimilars) and IL-17i in r-axSpA and nr-axSpA. This systematic literature review was conducted to inform the taskforce of the 2022 update of the ASAS-EULAR recommendations.

Keywords:

• ASAS-EULAR

The Incidence of Opportunistic Infections in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis Treated with Biologic and Targeted Synthetic Agents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Front Pharmacol 2022;13:992713 doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.992713

Vassilopoulos A,

Shehadeh F,

Benitez G,

Kalligeros M,

Cunha JS,

Cunha CB,

Mylonakis E

This is the largest meta-analysis to date, assessing the risk of OIs (Opportunistic infection) in patients with PsA. In coming to this conclusion, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to estimate the incidence of OIs following treatment with b- and tsDMARDs.

Keywords:

• Safety,
• Infections,
• Review

Venous Thromboembolism with JAK Inhibitors and Other Immune-Modulatory Drugs: a Swedish Comparative Safety Study Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Ann Rheum Dis. 2022. doi: 10.1136/ard-2022-223050

Molander V,

Bower H,

Frisell T,

Delcoigne B,

Di Giuseppe D,

Askling J;

Nationwide register-based study in Sweden finds that patients with RA treated with JAKinibs in routine clinical practice are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), compared with those treated with bDMARDs, an increase numerically confined to pulmonary embolism.

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Real-World,
• Thrombosis

Upadacitinib as Monotherapy and in Combination With Non-biologic Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs for Psoriatic Arthritis

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022 doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab905

Nash P,

Richette P,

Gossec L,

Marchesoni A,

Ritchlin C,

Kato K,

McDearmon-Blondell EL,

Lesser E,

McCaskill R,

Feng D,

Anderson JK,

Ruderman EM

In this investigation, upadacitinib showed comparable efficacy as monotherapy and in combination with nbDMARDs in PsA. In coming to this conclusion investigators aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib as monotherapy or in combination with nbDMARDs in patients with PsA.

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib

Incident and Recurrent Herpes Zoster for First-Line bDMARD and tsDMARD Users in Seropositive Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Arthritis Res Ther. 2022;24(1):180

Jeong S,

Choi S,

Park SM,

Kim J,

Ghang B,

Lee EY

Herpes zoster (HZ) risk is significantly increased in seropositive RA patients with a history of HZ after the initiation of bDMARDs or tsDMARD. It is now well known that the incidence and recurrence of HZ are quite common in patients with RA in real-world clinical settings, yet there is limited evidence regarding bDMARD-dependent HZ risk among patients with a history of HZ prior to bDMARD use.

Keywords:

• Safety,
• Infections,
• Review

Unincreased risk of hospitalized infection under targeted therapies versus methotrexate in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective cohort study

Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 doi: 10.1186/s13075-022-02807-9

Sakai R,

Tanaka E,

Majima M,

Harigai M

Retrospective, longitudinal, population-based study shows that despite an overall higher incidence of hospitalised infection (HI) in both elderly and older elderly patients compared to young patients, the risks of HI in patients exposed to targeted therapy versus MTX is not significantly increased.

Short- and longer-term cancer risks with biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumaticdrugs as used against rheumatoid arthritis in clinical practice

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022 doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab570

Huss V,

Bower H,

Wadström H,

Frisell T,

Askling J; ARTIS group

Observational, nationwide cohort study finds no increased risk for cancer overall in RA patients treated with TNFis, anti-CD20 or anti-IL6.

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Safety,
• Malignancy

Evaluation of response to 13-valent conjugated pneumococcal vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving upadacitinib: results from a phase 2 open-label extension study

RMD Open. 2022;8(1):e002110 doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-002110

Winthrop K,

Vargas JI,

Drescher E,

Garcia C,

Friedman A,

Hendrickson B,

Li Y,

Klaff J,

Kivitz A

Vaccine sub-study of the BALANCE-EXTEND upadacitinib trial finds that approximately two-thirds of patients receiving upadacitinib 15 mg once-daily achieve a satisfactory humoral response to pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate (PCV-13) vaccine, despite receiving concomitant methotrexate (MTX).It is well known that a weakened immune response, comorbidities and immunosuppressant drug therapy all contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections in patients with RA. Likewise, the morbidity and mo...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Upadacitinib,
• Vaccination

Effectiveness of baricitinib and tofacitinib compared with bDMARDs in RA: results from a cohort study using nationwide Swedish register data

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022. Epub ahead of print doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac068

Barbulescu A,

Askling J,

Chatzidionysiou K,

Forsblad-d'Elia H,

Kastbom A,

Lindström U,

Turesson C,

Frisell T

Data from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register and Swedish Registries, show a higher treatment retention and overall equivalent or better treatment response on baricitinib, compared with bDMARDs or tofacitinib, but no statistically significant differences between tofacitinib and bDMARDs.In this largest population-based study to date, comparing RA patients initiating baricitinib, tofacitinib or bDMARDs, Barbulescu, et al. help to fill some of the current knowledge gaps surrounding the effica...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Baricitinib,
• Real-World,
• Efficacy

Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib versus baricitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in real clinical practice: analyses with propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting

Ann Rheum Dis. 2021;80(9):1130-1136

Miyazaki Y,

Nakano K,

Nakayamada S,

Kubo S,

Inoue Y,

Fujino Y,

Tanaka Y.

Propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting shows that efficacy may differ between tofacitinib and baricitinib. Miyazaki, et al. compared the efficacy and safety of the two JAK inhibitors in real-world clinical practice, after reduction to a minimum of the selection bias, using propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting, and adjustment for confounding patient characteristics. They found that tofacitinib may be less effective in patients resistant to m...

Keywords:

• JAK,
• Baricitinib,
• Efficacy,
• Safety,
• Real-World