Characteristics of Patients Treated with JAK Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis before versus after VTE Risk Warnings

Do newly approved drugs have a worse observed safety profile than once established? A study on time trends in risks of key safety outcomes with immunomodulatory drugs against rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate rates of key safety outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) and in reference cohorts, presented over time since the market entry of each b/tsDMARD class and over calendar period at treatment start.

METHODS

This was a nationwide register-based cohort study conducted from 2006 to 2022. From the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register and national registers, we identified treatment initiators of b/tsDMARDs (n = 33,550 initiations), an early bionaive RA cohort (n = 16,011), and a matched general population cohort (n = 111,074). The main outcome was first of either major adverse cardiovascular event, venous thromboembolism, cancer, or serious infection. We stratified rates by time since market entry of each b/tsDMARD class at treatment start, and by calendar year of treatment start. We calculated incidence rates (IRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox regression and adjusted for patient characteristics.

RESULTS

Overall, 5862 events were observed in the b/tsDMARD initiator cohort. b/tsDMARD treatments initiated >5 (vs <2) years since market entry of that class were associated with lower outcome rates (unadjusted HR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.67-0.81). This association was attenuated once adjusting for patient characteristics (adjusted HR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.84-1.03). By contrast, during our study period, adjusted rates declined (adjusted HR = 0.74 and 95% CI = 0.69-0.80 for b/tsDMARDs initiated 2016-2021 vs 2006-2010), despite a constant rate in the background population.

CONCLUSIONS

Modest channelling makes the safety profile of b/tsDMARDs appear worse when new on the market. Declining incidences of typical RA comorbidities in b/tsDMARD initiators during recent years suggest that the bar defining an "acceptable" safety profile for new b/tsDMARDs for use in RA should be lower(ed).

Prevalence of Cardiovascular and Cancer Risk Factors Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Prescribed JAK Inhibitors and Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

The study was to determine the prevalence of baseline risk factors for cardiovascular outcomes and cancer among commercially-insured patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during their first dispensed treatment for either tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or JAK inhibitors (JAKi).

METHODS

Patients with RA from August 16, 2019 to March 31, 2022 were identified in the Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases. The first date that a TNFi or JAKi was dispensed was the index date, and baseline risk factors were assessed among patients continuously eligible for 12 months before the index date. Patients who had the following were stratified into an elevated risk category: age ≥65 years, smoking, or a history of a major adverse cardiovascular event, venous thromboembolism, or cancer. The prevalence of modifiable risk factors was also reported: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. The crude prevalence and prevalence difference (PD) were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 12,673 patients (TNFi [n = 7,748; 61%] and JAKi [n = 4,925; 39%]) met inclusion criteria. The prevalence of elevated risk was the same for all patients using TNFi (n = 2,051; 26%) and JAKi (n = 1,262; 26%). Compared with patients having low risk, patients with an elevated risk also had a higher prevalence of at least one primary modifiable risk factor for both patients using JAKi (79% vs 58%; PD 21%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 18%-24%) and TNFi (81% vs 60%; PD 21%, 95% CI 19%-23%).

CONCLUSION

In recent years, JAKi and TNFi were used in similar proportions to treat RA among commercially-insured patients at elevated cardiovascular and cancer risk. Because uncontrolled disease, modifiable comorbidities, and treatment with JAKi are associated with these adverse events, future studies evaluating how practice patterns may be affected by the emergence of safety data will be of value.

Use of Janus kinase inhibitors before and after European Medicines Agency safety recommendations: a retrospective study

Background

Safety recommendations for Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) issued by the European Medical Agency (EMA) in 2023 could potentially influence treatment patterns for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs, but little is known about the impact of these recommendations in routine clinical care.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the German RHADAR rheumatology database for adult patients with RA and documentation of a new therapy with a JAKi, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), or interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor (IL-6Ri). Data were grouped into half-yearly intervals from quarter (Q)2/2020 to Q3/2023. The period from Q4/2022 to Q1/2023 immediately followed the initial EMA endorsement of Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) recommendations and Q2/2023-Q3/2023 immediately followed the direct healthcare provider communication (DHPC) containing the new safety JAKi recommendations.

Results

Between April 1, 2020 and September 23, 2023, 3008 newly initiated therapies for TNFi (1499 [49.8%]), JAKi (1126 [37.4%]), and IL-6Ri (383 [12.7%]) were documented by the treating physicians. JAKi were increasingly used in the first two half-year periods (from 29.7% of these therapies in Q2/2020-Q3/2020 to 46.7% in Q2/2021-Q3/2021; odds ratio [OR] 2.08; p<0.001). The proportion of initiated JAKi therapies decreased significantly after the PRAC recommendations (32.9%; OR vs peak 0.56; p=0.001) and the DHPC letter (26.1%; OR vs peak 0.40; p<0.001). JAKi were more likely to be used as >3rd-line therapy in later time periods.

Conclusions

This exploratory study suggests that EMA safety recommendations for JAKi influenced treatment patterns of RA patients who received JAKi in Germany. Additional studies will be needed to confirm these findings.

Atopic Dermatitis in the Elderly Population

Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory disease with a chronic and relapsing course. Although considered a childhood disease, it is now evident that atopic dermatitis is also common in adulthood and in the elderly population. Atopic dermatitis typically manifests with bilateral and symmetrical eczematous lesions on the face, trunk and skin folds. Itch is invariably present and may be very severe, markedly  affecting daily life and sleep. In older adults, atopic dermatitis may have a high level of impact on quality of life, frequently burdening an already complex comorbid situation. The full assessment of disease burden (localizations, itch severity, sleep alterations, impact on quality of life, disease history, comorbidities) is crucial to identify the most appropriate treatment. In many cases, moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the elderly population can be successfully and safely treated with biological agents inhibiting the interleukin-4/-13 pathway, whereas the use of Janus kinase inhibitors may pose concerns about the safety profile.

Systematic Literature Review of Real-World Evidence on Baricitinib for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

INTRODUCTION

Baricitinib, an orally available small-molecule inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2, is indicated to treat active moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review described the real-world clinical characteristics of baricitinib-treated patients with RA, prescription patterns, effectiveness, drug persistence, patient-reported outcomes (PROs; physical function, pain, health-related quality of life [HRQoL]), patient global assessment (PGA), and safety of baricitinib.

METHODS

A PRISMA systematic review of real-world studies was conducted to identify relevant literature published between January 2016 and September 2022 using MEDLINE®, EMBASE®, and evidence-based medicine review databases. Websites or online repositories of the American College of Rheumatology and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology were searched manually to include relevant abstracts from conferences held between January 2016 and November 2022.

RESULTS

A total of 11,472 records were identified by searching online databases. Seventy studies were included in the study, of which 40 were abstracts. Most patients were older (51-71 years), female, and with mean RA duration of 4-19 years. Baricitinib was mostly used after the failure of one or more bDMARDs, and 4 mg dosing was prevalent in patients with RA (range 22-100%). Clinical effectiveness of baricitinib was reported in real-world settings regardless of prior biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use and concomitant conventional synthetic DMARD use. Achievement of Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) remission was reported in 8.7-60% of patients at week 12 and CDAI low disease activity (LDA) in 20.2-81.6% at week 24. The proportion of patients attaining Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) remission was reported in 12% at week 4 to 45.4% at 24 weeks. Drug persistence was high, similar, or equal to anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs. No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSION

Baricitinib demonstrated effectiveness in the real-world setting with a consistent safety profile observed in clinical studies. Better persistence rates for baricitinib compared to bDMARDs with improvement in PROs were reported, although baricitinib-treated patients had RA with poor prognostic characteristics.

Cardiovascular implications of inflammatory bowel disease: An updated review

Emerging data highlights the heightened risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) in patients with chronic inflammatory disorders, particularly those afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review delves into the epidemiological connections between IBD and ASCVD, elucidating potential underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, it discusses the impact of current IBD treatments on cardiovascular risk. Additionally, the cardiovascular adverse effects of novel small molecule drugs used in moderate-to-severe IBD are investigated, drawing parallels with observations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This article aims to comprehensively evaluate the existing evidence supporting these associations. To achieve this, we conducted a meticulous search of PubMed, spanning from inception to August 2023, using a carefully selected set of keywords. The search encompassed topics related to IBD, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as ASCVD, including coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, conduction abnormalities, heart blocks, and premature coronary artery disease. This review encompasses various types of literature, including retrospective and prospective cohort studies, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and relevant guidelines, with the objective of providing a comprehensive overview of this critical intersection of inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular health.