Key clinical point: Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis: baricitinib or tofacitinib) vs. rituximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with concurrent interstitial lung disease (ILD) or bronchiectasis did not increase the rate of hospitalization or mortality because of a respiratory cause.
Major finding: Respiratory events were reported in 5 patients treated with JAKi (18%; 7 hospitalizations, 2 of whom died) and 4 patients treated with rituximab (21%; 4 hospitalizations, 1 of whom died). Respiratory event survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38; P = .64) and the rate of drug discontinuation HR, 1.9; P = .251) did not differ significantly between groups.
Study details: A retrospective analysis of patients with RA and concurrent ILD or bronchiectasis who received JAKis (n=28: baricitinib, n=26; tofacitinib, n=2) or rituximab (n=19) for a mean of 1.1 and 2.14 years, respectively.
Disclosures: The study did not receive any funding. The lead author received sponsorship from Lilly and Pfizer to attend educational conferences. The other authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Citation: Cronin O et al. Rheumatol Int. 2021 Mar 15. doi: 10.1007/s00296-021-04835-1 .