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Tofacitinib for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Abstract

The management of rheumatoid arthritis has seen a dramatic improvement with the introduction of a range of biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in recent years. Nonetheless, a proportion of patients remain resistant or intolerant to multiple conventional and biological DMARDs, so innovative strategies are needed to offer patients new therapeutic options. Tofacitinib is the first of a new class of orally active DMARDs, with immunomodulating effects through inhibition of intracellular Janus kinase (JAK) pathways. It has been recently licensed for treatment of adults with moderate to severe RA in the US, Japan, and Russia. In this review the authors evaluate the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in RA, focusing predominantly on the phase 3 study data.

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Acknowledgments

Prior to peer review Pfizer was offered the opportunity to review this paper for scientific accuracy. No writing assistance, other editorial involvement, or financial support was provided by the manufacturer in the production of this manuscript. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies, or recommendations of Pfizer or any of its employees. Dr. Rakieh is the guarantor for this article, and takes responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole.

Conflict of interest

Phil G. Conaghan has attended speaker meetings or advisory boards for BMS, Janssen, Pfizer and Roche. Chadi Rakieh declares no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Chadi Rakieh & Philip G. Conaghan

  2. NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK

    Chadi Rakieh & Philip G. Conaghan

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  1. Chadi Rakieh
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  2. Philip G. Conaghan
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Correspondence to Chadi Rakieh.

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Rakieh, C., Conaghan, P.G. Tofacitinib for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Adv Ther 30, 713–726 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-013-0047-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-013-0047-y

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