Abstract
Tofacitinib is an orally administered Janus kinase inhibitor (JAK) that belongs to a group of so-called targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (tsDMARD). The efficacy and safety of administration in RA patients has been investigated in a number of clinical trials in patients with varying types of established therapy and with varying degrees of disability.
A rapid onset of action and long-term, stable efficacy for up to 8.5 years have been observed in the clinical trial. Long-term security data is based on up to 9 years of tracking.
Tofacitinib treatment has been shown to be similar to that of tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) inhibitors. Patients treated with tofacitinib have been shown to have nearly four times higher risk of developing herpes zoster, but the incidence of complicated or disseminated shingles has not been found.
The article describes three case reports of RA patients who have been treated with tofacitinib for a long time in a clinical trial, and then, following regulatory approval, by the standard route. In all three cases, the excellent effect of tofacitinib was demonstrated, no serious side effects were detected.