This single-centre study by Khan, et al. suggests that high-dose methotrexate (25 mg/week, subcutaneously) may be as efficacious as tofacitinib in patients with established RA who are DMARD naïve or have not received a therapeutic dose of DMARDs.

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.

June 2023

The study demonstrated that obesity is a factor that could play a role in treatment decision-making in people living with inflammatory arthritis (IA). It appears that efficacy of TNFi is affected by patients’ weight/BMI in all forms of IA, while this is not the case for TCZ and ABA in RA, as well for IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors in PsA.

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JAK Inhibitors and the Risk of Malignancy: A Meta-analysis Across Disease Indications

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023;82(8):1059–1067 doi: 10.1136/ard-2023-224049

The objective of this study was to estimate the association of JAKi with the incidence of malignancy, compared with placebo, TNFi and MTX.

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.

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.

May 2023

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

Evidence from two phase 3 RCTs showed that patients with PsA and axial involvement had greater responses when treated with a once-daily oral dose of 15 mg upadacitinib versus placebo, and a similar or greater response versus adalimumab. Safety results were comparable between patients with or without axial involvement.

April 2023

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’.

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).