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

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.