Tofacitinib

Tofacitinib, sold under the brand Xeljanz, Neojanz among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. It is a janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, discovered and developed by the National Institutes of Health and Pfizer. Common side effects include diarrhea, headache, and high blood pressure. Serious side effects may include infections, cancer, and pulmonary embolism. In 2019, the safety committee of the European Medicines Agency began a review of tofacitinib and recommended that doctors temporarily not prescribe the 10 mg twice-daily dose to people at high risk for pulmonary embolism. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also released warnings about the risk of blood clots. An important side effect of Jakinibs is serious bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal and viral infections. In the phase III trials of tofacitinib among opportunistic infections, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was reported in 3 cases all of which were initially negative upon screening for TB. It was approved for medical use in the United States in November 2012. The extended-release version was approved in February 2016. It is available as a generic medication.