Upadacitinib Improves Ulcerative Colitis Outcomes at 12 Months

MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For patients with ulcerative colitis, upadacitinib is associated with improved disease-specific outcomes at 12 months compared with tofacitinib, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Gursimran S. Kochhar, M.D., from the Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the effectiveness of upadacitinib and tofacitinib in patients with ulcerative colitis. Data were included for 526 patients in the upadacitinib cohort and 1,149 in the tofacitinib cohort.

The researchers observed no significant difference in the risk for the composite outcome of hospitalization requiring intravenous steroids and/or colectomy within six months in a propensity score-matched analysis. However, the risk for the composite outcome was significantly lower in the upadacitinib cohort versus the tofacitinib cohort within 12 months. The risk for intravenous steroid use did not differ significantly, but risk for colectomy was lower. In a sensitivity analysis, the risk for the composite outcome was significantly lower, including a lower risk for intravenous steroid use and colectomy, in the upadacitinib cohort versus tofacitinib cohort within 12 months.

“Our study utilizing real-world data showed that over a 12-month period following initiation of a Janus kinase inhibitor, upadacitinib use compared with tofacitinib is associated with improved disease-specific outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, which manufactures upadacitinib.

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