Cardiovascular and Cancer Risk with Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis

🤖 Plain-English Summary

BACKGROUND: Increases in lipid levels and cancers with tofacitinib prompted a trial of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cancers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib as compared with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor. Several adverse events were more common with tofacitinib.

🔑 Key Findings

• METHODS: We conducted a randomized, open-label, noninferiority, postauthorization, safety end-point trial involving patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment who were 50 years of age or older and had at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor.
• Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive tofacitinib at a dose of 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily or a TNF inhibitor.
• The coprimary end points were adjudicated MACE and cancers, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer.

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