Experience with Tofacitinib and Baricitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In a retrospective observational study conducted until September 2019, 47 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analyzed for adverse effects (AEs) following treatment with tofacitinib and baricitinib at a second level hospital. The study included 12.8% men with a mean age of 57 years. All patients had previously been treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and 55.3% had received biologic agents, with an average of 1.7 previous biological treatments. A total of 24 AEs were detected in 31.9% of patients, with 30.8% of those on baricitinib and 28.6% on tofacitinib experiencing AEs such as infections, fatigue, changes in blood pressure, and hair loss. Baricitinib was discontinued in six cases due to lack of clinical improvement or AEs, while tofacitinib was stopped in five cases due to inefficacy or AEs. Despite potential underreporting of AEs, both drugs demonstrated an acceptable adverse reaction profile, consistent with their technical data sheets.