Using data from registries across Europe and Canada, Aymon et al. did not observe an increased incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors compared with those treated with other biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Their findings support similar cardiovascular risk profiles for JAK and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.

JAK Inhibitors 101
Experts provided an in-depth review of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, discussing the latest research on their use in the treatment of specific rheumatic conditions, the risks associated with them and more.

New Study: Upadacitinib Is Treatment Option for Giant Cell Arteritis
Results of the international SELECT-GCA study suggest that upadacitinib may be an effective new oral treatment for giant cell arteritis.

When a JAK Inhibitor Fails
What Are the Therapeutic Alternatives When a Janus Kinase Inhibitor Fails to Work? SAN DIEGO—Treatment alternatives after Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor failure in real-life conditions were analyzed and presented at ACR Convergence 2023 by Pablo Francisco Muñoz Martínez, a rheumatologist at the Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Sagunto, Spain.1 JAK inhibitors are newer, targeted…

JAK Inhibitors vs. TNF Inhibitors: Understanding Infection Risks
Research from Choi et al. provides insights into the risk of infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), comparing patients treated with Janus kinase inhibitors vs. tumor necrosis inhibitors. The most frequent infection was herpes zoster, with patients treated with JAK inhibitors having a significantly greater risk of herpes zoster infection than those treated with TNF inhibitors.

Cardiovascular Safety with RA Treatments
Research by Chicre et al. found that Janus kinase inhibitors may significantly increase the risk of major adverse cardiac events and all-cause death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when compared with other RA treatments. This study highlights the need for more comparative safety studies.

Clinical Rheumatology Year in Review 2021
ACR Convergence 2021—On Nov. 5, Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and director of the lupus program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, gave a whirlwind review of the most important clinical rheumatology publications of the past year. Testing New Medications for Rheumatic Disease ADVOCATE Trial of Avacopan Dr. Costenbader first…

Case Report: A 5-Year-Old with an Ischemic Digit
Janus kinase 1 and 2 inhibitors (jakinibs) have been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and, most recently, juvenile idiopathic arthritis. They have also shown promise in the treatment of interferon (IFN) mediated diseases. The Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is the principal signaling pathway for…

Janus Kinase Inhibitors Promising for Difficult-to-Treat RA
In a study, Janus kinase inhibitors proved effective for patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Cytokine Targets & Treatment Developments for Psoriatic Arthritis & Spondyloarthritis
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In recent years, a pathophysiological role for the interleukin (IL) 17/IL-23 axis in the development of psoriasis, enthesitis and inflammatory arthritis has been investigated in both rodent and human models. Clinical trials have demonstrated differential benefits for skin disease and joint disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis…