Multicenter evaluation of tofacitinib retention and safety in rheumatoid arthritis – why cardiovascular risk factors do not equate to overt risk

Abstract

IntroductionThis multicenter, real-world, retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib (TOFA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Material and methodsTwo hundred nine patients with active RA treated with TOFA, unresponsive to at least 2 conventional synthetic disease-modifying drugs, were recruited. Clinical characteristics were extracted from an electronic registry and supplemented with manual chart review and data linkage with ambulatory care. Drug retention and reasons for discontinuation were evaluated.ResultsMedian (interquartile range) follow-up in the whole sample was 16.9 (5.93–31.7) months. Mean (standard deviation) age was 51.44 (±11.84) years, with female predominance (<i>n</i> = 168, 80.4%). Only 30 patients (14.4%) had no pre-existing traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factor at TOFA initiation. Tofacitinib retention rates were high, with median survival estimated at 89.3% at 6 months, 82.4% at 12 months, and 60.4% at 24 months. Ineffectiveness was the primary cause of discontinuation (<i>n</i> = 50). The rate of adverse events (AEs) was relatively low, with lipid abnormalities, blood count alterations, and infectious events among the most common. No major adverse CV event was reported. The incidence rate of AEs necessitating treatment switch was 60.34 (95% CI: 37–92) per 1,000 per-son-years of follow-up. Presence of multiple (> 3) CV risk factors was associated with lower odds of TOFA retention and treatment effectiveness.ConclusionsTofacitinib demonstrated high retention rates and a favorable safety profile in RA patients, including those with traditional CV risk factors. Tofacitinib may be a valuable treatment option for RA patients when combined with individualized CV risk management. Further studies are warranted to explore the long-term effects of TOFA and its CV impact in larger populations.