Tofacitinib
Generic name: tofacitinib
Brand names: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR
Dosage form: oral tablet, oral extended-release tablet, oral solution
Drug class:Antirheumatics
What is tofacitinib?
Tofacitinib is a prescription medication called a janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. It is a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD), which works by suppressing the immune system. Tofacitinib is available in the form of a tablet (Xeljanz), an extended release tablet (Xeljanz XR) and as an oral solution.
It is used to treat certain inflammatory conditions in people who have already tried tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers.
When tofacitinib was approved by the FDA in 2012, it was the first approved JAK inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and also the first new oral DMARD to be approved for the condition in more than a decade.
What is tofacitinib used for?
- Tofacitinib tablets and tofacitinib R are used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis when 1 or more medicines called TNF blockers have been used and did not work well or cannot be tolerated.
- Tofacitinib tablets and tofacitinib XR are used to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis when 1 or more TNF blocker medicines have been used, and did not work well or cannot be tolerated.
- Tofacitinib tablets and tofacitinib XR are used to treat adults with active ankylosing spondylitis when 1 or more TNF blocker medicines have been used and did not work well or cannot be tolerated.
- Tofacitinib tablets and tofacitinib XR are used to treat adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis when 1 or more TNF blocker medicines have been used, and did not work well or cannot be tolerated.
- Tofacitinib tablets and oral solution is used to treat people 2 years of age and older with active polyarticular course juvenile arthritis when 1 or more TNF blocker medicines have been used, and did not work well or cannot be tolerated.
It is not known if tofacitinib tablets and tofacitinib XR are safe and effective in people with Hepatitis B or C.
Tofacitinib is not recommended for people with severe liver problems.
It is not known if tofacitinib tablets and oral solution are safe and effective in children for treatment other than active polyarticular course juvenile arthritis.
It is not known if tofacitinib XR is safe and effective in children.
Important information
Tofacitinib may cause serious side effects including:
1. Serious infections.
Tofacitinib is a medicine that affects your immune system. Tofacitinib can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Some people can have serious infections while taking tofacitinib, including tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that can spread throu...
