Risk Factors for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Phase III and Long-Term Extension Studies of Tofacitinib in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Tofacitinib is an oral JAK inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was undertaken to evaluate the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with RA receiving tofacitinib. METHODS: Data were pooled from patients with moderately to severely active RA receiving ≥1 tofacitinib dose in 6 phase III and 2 long-term extension studies over 7 years. MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular death) were independently adjudicated. Cox regression models were used to evaluate associations between baseline variables and time to first MACE. Following 24 weeks of tofacitinib, changes in variables and time to future MACE were evaluated after adjusment for age, baseline values, and time-varying tofacitinib dose. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Fifty-two MACE occurred in 4,076 patients over 12,873 patient-years of exposure (incidence rate 0.4 patients with events per 100 patient-years). In univariable analyses of baseline variables, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and glucocorticoid and statin use were associated with MACE risk; disease activity and inflammation measures were not. In subsequent multivariable analyses, baseline age, hypertension, and the total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio remained significantly associated with risk of MACE. After 24 weeks of treatment, an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in the total to HDL cholesterol were associated with decreased MACE risk; changes in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and disease activity measures were not. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rates trended with increased future MACE risk. CONCLUSION: In this post hoc analysis, after 24 weeks of tofacitinib treatment, increased HDL cholesterol, but not increased LDL cholesterol or total cholesterol, appeared to be associated with lower future MACE risk. Further data are needed to test the cardiovascular safety of tofacitinib.

Lymphoma in the Tofacitinib Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Development Program.

OBJECTIVE: Tofacitinib is an oral JAK inhibitor indicated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We characterized lymphoma events in the tofacitinib RA clinical development program. METHODS: Lymphoma events (up to March 2015) were identified from 19 tofacitinib studies (2 phase I, 9 phase II, 6 phase III, and 2 long-term extension) of patients with moderate to severe RA. Patients in these studies received tofacitinib dosed at 1-30 mg twice daily or 20 mg once daily, as monotherapy or with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Lymphoma incidence rates (IRs; number of patients with events/100 patient-years) and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated. A descriptive case-matched control analysis (1:4) was performed to identify potential risk factors for lymphoma. RESULTS: A total of 6,194 patients received tofacitinib (19,406 patient-years of exposure, 3.4 years median treatment duration). Nineteen lymphomas occurred (IR 0.10 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.06-0.15]), with no increase observed with time of exposure. The age- and sex-adjusted SIR of lymphoma was 2.62 (95% CI 1.58-4.09) (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER] program database). The clinical characteristics of the 19 lymphomas were typical for the RA population. Three lymphomas were positive for Epstein-Barr virus, 8 were negative, 2 were equivocal, and 6 were untested. Numerically, more lymphoma cases had a history of Sjögren's syndrome and were positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated protein and rheumatoid factor at baseline versus matched controls. The mean corticosteroid dose was higher for lymphoma cases versus controls. CONCLUSION: In the tofacitinib RA clinical development program, lymphoma rates were stable over time and there were minimal differences in the baseline characteristics of patients with and without lymphoma.

Cardiovascular safety findings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tofacitinib, an oral Janus kinase inhibitor.

OBJECTIVES: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The implications of treatment with tofacitinib on cardiovascular (CV) risk in RA are unknown. Therefore, CV adverse events (AEs), and blood pressure and lipid level changes, in tofacitinib-treated patients with RA were evaluated. METHODS: Data were pooled from six Phase (P)3 studies (24 months) and two open-label long-term extension (LTE) studies (60 months) of tofacitinib in patients with RA and inadequate response to DMARDs. Tofacitinib was administered alone or with non-biologic DMARDs. CV events, including major adverse CV events (MACE: CV death and non-fatal CV events) and congestive heart failure (CHF), were assessed by a blinded adjudication committee. RESULTS: Overall, 4271 patients from P3 studies and 4827 enrolled from P2/P3 studies into LTE studies were evaluated, representing 3942 and 8699 patient-years of exposure to tofacitinib, respectively. Blood pressure remained stable over time across studies. The number of investigator-reported hypertension-related AEs in tofacitinib-treated patients was low in P3 studies (Months 0-3: 2.8%; Months 3-6: 1.4%; >6 months: 2.8%). Across studies, lipid level increases were generally observed within 1-3 months of treatment and stabilized thereafter. Patients with events (incidence rate [IR]/100 patient-years) for MACE and CHF, respectively, were: 23 (0.58) and 9 (0.23) in P3 studies, and 32 (0.37) and 8 (0.09) in LTE studies; IRs were comparable with placebo (P3) and did not increase over time (LTE). CONCLUSIONS: Tofacitinib was associated with a low incidence of CV events in a large Phase 3 program, including LTE studies. Further long-term studies are underway.

Effects of tofacitinib and other DMARDs on lipid profiles in rheumatoid arthritis: implications for the rheumatologist.

Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality are increased in patients with active, untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA), despite lower levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reported in individuals with active RA compared with those without RA. Alterations in non-traditional lipid assessments, such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function and HDL-associated proteins, have been described in patients with active RA, including elevated HDL-associated serum amyloid A and decreased paraoxonase-1 activity. We review changes in both traditional lipoprotein concentrations and non-traditional lipoprotein assessments in multiple studies of treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including non-biologic and biologic DMARDs and tofacitinib. In addition, data from a recently published clinical trial with tofacitinib that describe a potential mechanism for suppression of cholesterol levels in active RA patients are reviewed. Finally, CV event data from various studies of DMARDs are presented, and the current management of RA patients with regard to the CV risk is reviewed.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of serious infections with tofacitinib and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tofacitinib modulates the signaling of cytokines that are integral to lymphocyte activation, proliferation, and function. Thus, tofacitinib therapy may result in suppression of multiple elements of the immune response. Serious infections have been reported in tofacitinib RA trials. However, limited head-to-head comparator data were available within the tofacitinib RA development program to directly compare rates of serious infections with tofacitinib relative to biologic agents, and specifically adalimumab (employed as an active control agent in two randomized controlled trials of tofacitinib). METHODS: A systematic literature search of data from interventional randomized controlled trials and long-term extension studies with biologics in RA was carried out. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) consensus was followed for reporting results of the review and meta-analysis. Incidence rates (unique patients with events/100 patient-years) for each therapy were estimated based on data from randomized controlled trials and long-term extension studies using a random-effects model. Relative and absolute risk comparisons versus placebo used Mantel-Haenszel methods. RESULTS: The search produced 657 hits. In total, 66 randomized controlled trials and 22 long-term extension studies met the selection criteria. Estimated incidence rates (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for abatacept, rituximab, tocilizumab, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors were 3.04 (2.49, 3.72), 3.72 (2.99, 4.62), 5.45 (4.26, 6.96), and 4.90 (4.41, 5.44), respectively. Incidence rates (95% CIs) for tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg twice daily (BID) in phase 3 trials were 3.02 (2.25, 4.05) and 3.00 (2.24, 4.02), respectively. Corresponding incidence rates in long-term extension studies were 2.50 (2.05, 3.04) and 3.19 (2.74, 3.72). The risk ratios (95% CIs) versus placebo for tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID were 2.21 (0.60, 8.14) and 2.02 (0.56, 7.28), respectively. Risk differences (95% CIs) versus placebo for tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID were 0.38% (-0.24%, 0.99%) and 0.40% (-0.22%, 1.02%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In interventional studies, the risk of serious infections with tofacitinib is comparable to published rates for biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with moderate to severely active RA.

Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single oral doses of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in healthy volunteers.

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor. This randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study was the first evaluation of tofacitinib in humans. The objectives were to characterize the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics of escalating single tofacitinib doses in healthy subjects. Tofacitinib (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30, 60, and 100 mg) or placebo was administered as oral powder for constitution. For each dose, 7-9 subjects were randomized to tofacitinib and 3-5 subjects to placebo. Ninety-five males and females (age range 19-45) completed the study. Forty-nine treatment-emergent all-causality adverse events (AEs) were observed; nausea and headache were the most frequently reported. Tofacitinib PK was characterized by rapid absorption (time to peak serum concentration [Tmax ] 0.5-1 hour), rapid elimination (mean terminal half-lives 2.3-3.1 hours), and dose-proportional systemic exposures (peak serum concentration [Cmax ] and area under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity [AUC0-∞ ]). No appreciable correlation was observed between tofacitinib dose and lymphocyte subset counts. Single-dose tofacitinib up to 100 mg in healthy subjects had a safety profile of mostly mild AEs, and no deaths, serious AEs, severe AEs or discontinuations due to AEs.

Changes in serum creatinine in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis treated with tofacitinib: results from clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Small increases in mean serum creatinine (SCr) were observed in studies of rheumatoid arthritis patients during tofacitinib treatment. These SCr changes were investigated and potential mechanisms explored. METHODS: SCr values and renal adverse event data were pooled from five Phase 3 and two long-term extension (LTE) studies. Dose-response relationships and association with inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP)) were explored using Phase 2 data and confirmed with Phase 3 data. RESULTS: In Phase 3, least squares mean SCr differences from placebo at Month 3 were 0.02 and 0.04 mg/dl for tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg twice daily (BID) (P <0.05), respectively. During Months 0 to 3, confirmed SCr ≥33% increases over baseline were reported in 17 (1.4%; 5 mg BID) and 23 (1.9%; 10 mg BID) patients. Generally, elevations plateaued and remained within normal limits throughout Phase 3 and LTE studies. Exposure-response modeling demonstrated small, reversible effects of tofacitinib on mean SCr, and significant (P <0.05) effects of CRP on model parameters. Phase 3 data confirmed that patients with higher baseline CRP or greater CRP decreases following tofacitinib treatment had the largest increases in SCr. Across Phase 3 and LTE studies, 22 tofacitinib-treated patients had clinical acute renal failure (ARF), predominantly in the setting of concurrent serious illness. CONCLUSIONS: Tofacitinib treatment was associated with small, reversible mean increases in SCr that plateaued early. The mechanism behind these SCr changes remains unknown, but may involve effects of tofacitinib on inflammation. ARF occurred infrequently, was associated with concurrent serious illness, and was unrelated to prior SCr increases.

Pharmacokinetics of tofacitinib, a janus kinase inhibitor, in patients with impaired renal function and end-stage renal disease.

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of tofacitinib were assessed in patients with mild (Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance >50 and ≤80 mL/min), moderate (≥30 and ≤50 mL/min), and severe (<30 mL/min) renal impairment, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis. Six patients each with normal, mild, moderate, or severely impaired renal function, and 12 patients with ESRD, received single tofacitinib doses of 10 mg. PK data were obtained from blood and dialyzate (patients with ESRD only) samples prior and subsequent to dosing and/or hemodialysis (patients with ESRD only). Relative to patients with normal renal function, mean (90% CI) AUC(0-∞) ratios were 137% (97-195), 143% (101-202), and 223% (157-316) in patients with mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment, respectively. Maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax ) were similar across the four treatment groups. Terminal phase half-life (t1/2 ) increased with severity of renal impairment. Mean AUC(0-∞) in patients with ESRD on a non-dialysis day was similar to that in patients with moderate renal impairment and approximately 40% greater than healthy volunteer data. Mean (SD) dialyzer efficiency (ratio of dialyzer clearance/blood flow entering the dialyzer) was 0.73 (0.15). However, due to extensive non-renal clearance, dialysis procedure is unlikely to result in significant elimination of tofacitinib.