Real-life experience of tofacitinib in patients with treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis: A 5-year follow-up: Monocentric experience

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to assess the short- and long-term effects of tofacitinib (TOFA) therapy on efficacy, safety, and drug retention rate patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and/or biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). METHODS: Thirty-five patients with RA who received TOFA therapy for at least 3 months in rheumatology outpatient clinic between December 2015 and December 2020 were included in the study. The prospectively follow-up results of the patients obtained on the 6(th) month and 5(th) year are presented. Demographic characteristics of the patients, the disease activity score-28 for RA with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS 28-4 [ESR]), change in DAS-28, health assessment questionnaire score, patient visual analog scale score, and laboratory parameters were recorded. The data at 6 months and 5 years of treatment were compared with baseline data. All side effects were recorded at each follow-up visit. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, 23 received TOFA treatment after receiving ≥1 bDMARDs, while the remaining 12 patients received TOFA therapy were biologic naive. On the 6-month follow-up, DAS 28-4 (ESR) score and DAS28 improvement significantly decreased at the 6(th) months from baseline (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively), and moderate disease activity was achieved in 13 patients. High disease activity persisted in four patients. DAS28 improvement according to the EULAR response criteria was good response in 86% of the patients. DAS 28-4 (ESR) score and DAS28 improvement significantly decreased at 5 years from baseline (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively), and the moderate disease activity was achieved in 10 patients. High disease activity persisted in two patients. Drug retention rate at 5-year follow-up was 54% and the daily glucocorticoid therapy could be discontinued in 9 patients (47%). Three patients (15%) were tested positive for COVID-19. None of them required hospitalization and no deaths were occurred due to COVID-19. CONCLUSION: TOFA is effective and well-tolerated treatment options that reduce the need for steroids in patients with RA.