Tofacitinib is a prescription medication used to treat patients with immune-mediated conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis who did not respond well to other medications. It works by reducing inflammation in the body by inhibiting certain enzymes called Janus kinases that regulate the immune system.
In a recent clinical trial, researchers sought to determine whether a lower dosage of tofacitinib (5 mg) would work as well as the standard dose (10 mg) in maintaining remission in patients with ulcerative colitis. They also looked at the safety of switching from the standard to the lower dose. The study involved 140 participants randomly taking 5 or 10 mg of tofacitinib twice a day.
Both dosing regimens were similarly effective in preventing UC symptoms from returning in stable remission participants. However, more participants in the 10 mg group (90%) remained in remission compared to the 5 mg group (77%). Researchers observed that 23 out of 140 participants (16 %) had serious medical problems during the study.
In the group that took 5 mg of tofacitinib, 7 participants (10%) had at least one serious medical problem, but none were related to the study medication. In the group that took 10 mg of tofacitinib, 16 participants (23%) had at least one serious medical problem, and researchers believed 4 of them (6%) were related to the study medication. About 23% of participants in the 5 mg group reported worsening ulcerative colitis, while 20% in the 10 mg group reported worsening symptoms.