Analysis of infections and all-cause mortality in phase II, phase III, and long-term extension studies of tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014 Nov;66(11):2924-37. doi: 10.1002/art.38779.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the rate of infection and all-cause mortality across tofacitinib phase II, phase III, and long-term extension (LTE) studies in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Pooled data from studies of tofacitinib in patients with RA were analyzed. In these studies, tofacitinib was administered as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate or other nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The cutoff date for inclusion of data was April 19, 2012.

Results: Across phase II, phase III, and LTE studies, 4,789 patients received tofacitinib (8,460 patient-years of exposure). The overall rate of serious infection was 3.09 events per 100 patient-years (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.73-3.49), and rates were stable over time. A Cox proportional hazards model showed that age, corticosteroid dose, diabetes, and tofacitinib dose were independently linked to the risk of serious infection. Lymphocyte counts of <0.5 × 10(3) /mm(3) were rare but were associated with an increased risk of treated and/or serious infection. Overall, all-cause mortality rates were 0.30 events per 100 patient-years (95% CI 0.20-0.44).

Conclusion: The overall risk of infection (including serious infection) and mortality rates in RA patients treated with tofacitinib appear to be similar to those observed in RA patients treated with biologic agents. The rates of serious infection were stable over time.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00147498 NCT00413660 NCT00550446 NCT00603512 NCT00661661 NCT00687193 NCT00814307 NCT00847613 NCT00853385 NCT00856544 NCT00960440 NCT00976599 NCT01039688 NCT01059864 NCT01164579 NCT01262118 NCT01359150.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antirheumatic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy*
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / immunology
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infections / epidemiology*
  • Infections / immunology
  • Infections / mortality*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Methotrexate / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Piperidines / adverse effects
  • Piperidines / therapeutic use*
  • Prevalence
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrimidines / adverse effects
  • Pyrimidines / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrroles / adverse effects
  • Pyrroles / therapeutic use*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Survival Rate
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antirheumatic Agents
  • Piperidines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrimidines
  • Pyrroles
  • tofacitinib
  • Methotrexate

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00147498
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00413660
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00550446
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00603512
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00661661
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00687193
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00814307
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00847613
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00853385
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00856544
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00960440
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00976599
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01039688
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01059864
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01164579
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01262118
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01359150