Key clinical point: Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) ameliorated the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and improved the health-related quality of life more effectively than placebo; however, safety concerns should be addressed.
Major finding: JAKi vs placebo significantly improved the American College of Rheumatology ≥20% improvement response rate (risk ratio [RR] 2.03; P < .001) and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (mean difference −0.31; P < .001), but were associated with a higher risk for ≥1 adverse events (RR 1.10; P < .001) and infections (RR 1.29; P < .001).
Study details: Findings are from a systematic review and meta-analysis of pooled data from 37 randomized controlled trials that evaluated JAKi for RA and included a total of 15,174 participants.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, West China Hospital, and others. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Wang F et al. Efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analysis. J Clin Med. 2022;11(15):4459 (Jul 30). Doi: 10.3390/jcm11154459