Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Currently, there are few studies comparing the relative risks of different classes of Disease-Modified Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs), specifically Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha blockers, and conventional DMARDs. The purpose of this research is to examine the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of specific JAK inhibitors, TNF-alpha blockers, and Conventional DMARDs among rheumatoid arthritis patients. The types of reported ADRs were analyzed, including disabilities, and cases of death.
METHODS: Retrospective data analysis from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for the year 2023 was conducted to analyze the frequency and types of ADRs between JAK inhibitors, TNF-alpha blockers, and conventional DMARDs. The medications Baricitinib, Tofacitinib, and Upadacitinib were analyzed for the JAK inhibitors; the medications Adalimumab, Certolizumab, Etanercept, Golimumab, and Infliximab were analyzed for the TNF-alpha blockers; and the medications Hydroxychloroquine, Leflunomide, Methotrexate, and Sulfasalazine were analyzed for the conventional DMARDs. Descriptive analyses included the age and gender categories among these reported events.
RESULTS: With all 3 classes of DMARDs, a total of 213,542 overall ADRs were reported for the year 2023. Among those ADRs, there were 9,217 events in which JAK inhibitors were the primary suspect, 21,329 events that were confirmed to be attributed to TNF-alpha blockers, and 3,161 events that were confirmed to be attributed to conventional DMARDs. The reports of death and disability outcomes for DMARDs were 8,576 events.
CONCLUSIONS: The TNF-alpha blockers had more reports of ADRs in general, but JAK inhibitors were the most likely to be the primary suspect if they were associated with an adverse drug event. The results show that the conventional DMARDs had the least amount of total reported primary suspect ADRs compared to JAK inhibitors and TNF-alpha blockers.