Baricitinib: key results of long-term use in rheumatoid arthritis

This review presents the latest data on the long-term use of the selective Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) baricitinib (BARI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in real-world clinical practice. The results of long-term use (up to 9.5 years) of BARI in RA suggest that its efficacy is comparable or even superior to that of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and tofacitinib, while the drug is more effective in patients who have not previously received bDMARDs or JAKi. It has been shown that the BARI dose can be reduced to 2 mg/day once the treatment goal has been reached in most patients without a decrease in efficacy, and that exacerbations that have occurred after reduction of the dosage (or treatment interruption) are relieved when returning to the full dose of the drug. According to data from registries from many countries and open observational studies, BARI is well tolerated during long-term use, even in elderly patients with ≥1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A high survival rate with BARI therapy has also been observed, which according to some registries exceeds that of tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors. Against the background of BARI therapy, a rapid (within 1 to 3 months) statistically significant reduction in pain has been demonstrated, regardless of the degree of suppression of disease activity, which correlates with an improvement in the functional status and general condition of patients. The possibility of suppressing the progression of structural damage in patients with RA was also demonstrated, allowing the choice of individualized tactics for the management of such patients.