Comparative safety of JAK inhibitors versus TNF or IL-17 inhibitors for cardiovascular disease and cancer in psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis.

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and common solid cancers between JAK inhibitors (JAKi) versus TNF or IL-17 inhibitors, among people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods: We used real-world electronic health records data from a predominantly North American population of PsA or axSpA. Initiators of JAKi (tofacitinib or upadacitinib) and TNFi were 1:1 propensity score matched. Cox models were used to compare time to CVD (acute myocardial infarction, stroke or revascularization) or common solid cancers (breast, colorectal, lung or prostate) over 3 years. Analyses were repeated for JAKi versus IL-17i. We performed sensitivity analyses with follow-up over 1 or 5 years, in those aged ≥65 years, or those initiating treatment before 2021.

Results: The JAKi vs TNFi comparison included 2,200 matched individuals in each group over 3,092 and 4,618 person-years, respectively. Compared to TNFi, JAKi was not associated with higher risk of CVD (HR 0.977; 95% 0.632, 1.510) or cancer (HR 0.710; 0.462, 1.091) over 3 years' follow-up. JAKi vs IL-17i comparison included 2,287 individuals over 3,190 and 4,312 person-years, respectively. Compared to IL-17i, JAKi was not associated with risk of CVD (HR 1.114; 0.720,1.722) or cancer (HR 0.737; 0.484,1.122). Results across stratified analyses were directionally concordant.

Conclusions: These results are reassuring that among a large population of people with PsA or axSpA, JAKi was not associated with increased risk of CVD or common solid cancers, compared to TNFi or IL-17i initiators. Ongoing monitoring of cardiovascular and cancer risks is needed.