“Uveitis is the most common and potentially serious extra-articular manifestation of JIA. It affects between 12% and 30% of patients and is a considerable cause of JIA-associated morbidity. Thus, evidence of the effect of tofacitinib on uveitis incidence or activity … would be important in informing real-world treatment choices, both in polyarticular course JIA and more broadly,” write Dr. Sarah Clarke and Dr. Athimalapiet Ramanan with Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in the U.K.2
“The inclusion of patients with JIA-associated uveitis in pediatric investigation or study plans would greatly aid in addressing this issue,” they say.
“Despite its limitations, the trial by Ruperto and colleagues represents an important step in the treatment of JIA by providing the first indications of the efficacy of tofacitinib in JIA and addressing the need for a globally accessible, oral therapy,” the editorial writers conclude.
The study was funded by Pfizer. Several authors have disclosed financial relationships with the company.
References
- Ruperto N, Brunner HI, Synoverska O, et al. Tofacitinib in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, withdrawal phase 3 randomised trial. Lancet. 2021 Nov 27;398(10315):1984–1996.
- Clarke SLN, Ramanan AV. Tofacitinib in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Lancet. 2021 Nov 27;398(10315):1943–1945. Epub 2021 Nov 9.
