ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Tofacitinib is an oral small molecule Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). We present safety and efficacy data from patients from East Asia (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) in OCTAVE Open, an open-label, long-term extension study. METHODS: Patients in remission at OCTAVE Open baseline received tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily (BID); all others received tofacitinib 10 mg BID. Proportions and IRs (unique patients with events/100 patient-years) were calculated for adverse events (AEs) of special interest. Efficacy endpoints were evaluated up to 36 months. RESULTS: In OCTAVE Open, 105/944 patients were from East Asia (tofacitinib 5 mg BID, n = 22; tofacitinib 10 mg BID, n = 83). Overall, 87.6% and 24.8% of patients had AEs and serious AEs, respectively; IRs (95% CI) for AEs of special interest were herpes zoster (HZ; non-serious and serious), 6.07 (3.40-10.02); serious infections, 1.47 (0.40-3.76); opportunistic infections, 1.91 (0.62-4.45); major cardiovascular adverse events, 0.37 (0.01-2.04); malignancies (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer [NMSC]), 0.37 (0.01-2.04); and NMSC, 0.00 (0.00-1.35). No deaths, venous thromboembolic events, or gastrointestinal perforations occurred. At month 36, 68.2% and 54.2% of patients had a clinical response, 68.2% and 53.0% had endoscopic improvement, and 63.6% and 49.4% were in remission with tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The HZ IR in East Asian patients was numerically higher versus the global study population; excluding HZ, tofacitinib safety and efficacy were consistent with the global study population.
