June 2023

Baricitinib Improves Bone Properties and Biomechanics in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis – Results of the Prospective Interventional BARE BONE Trial

Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 doi 10.1002/art.42617 Epub ahead of print

The results from Simon, et al. show that baricitinib treatment correlates with improvements in bone stiffness. Further improvements were also observed at the end of Week 52, with an increase in estimated failure load and no measurable progression in bone erosion being reported.

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Effects of Filgotinib on Semen Parameters and Sex Hormones in Male Patients with Inflammatory Diseases: Results from the Phase 2, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled MANTA and MANTA-RAy Studies

Ann Rheum Dis 2023;82:1049–1058

Reinisch, et al. show that filgotinib treatment has no effect on semen parameters for men with active inflammatory diseases. This contrasts with pre-clinical studies that showed fertility issues in male animals.

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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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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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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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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

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.

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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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May 2023

Immunogenicity and Safety of Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Anti-Cellular Biologic Agents or JAK Inhibitors: A Prospective Observational Study

Int JMol Sci 2023;24(8):6967 doi 10.3390/ijms24086967

A prospective observational study showed that recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) immunogenicity is not impaired in RA patients on JAK inhibitors or anti-cellular bDMARDs.

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April 2023

Identification of Two Tofacitinib Subpopulations with Different Relative Risk Versus TNF Inhibitors: An Analysis of the Open Label, Randomised Controlled Study ORAL Surveillance

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023;82(7):901-910 doi: 10.1136/ard-2022-223715

Findings from a post hoc analysis of ORAL Surveillance can help guide individualised benefit/risk assessment and clinical decision-making on treatment with tofacitinib, based on identification of subpopulations ‘at risk’.

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Incidence of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Biologic and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs

JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(3):e233640 doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.3640

Retrospective cohort study results suggest that treatment with tofacitinib, and perhaps other JAK inhibitors, may provide a benefit in reducing the risk of developing RA-Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).

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