Tofacitinib Effective for Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is sometimes refractory to conventional therapy with mesalamine, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, or anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents (Gastroenterology 2006; 130:940). An alternate treatment that might be effective for patients with refractory disease is tofacitinib, a selective oral inhibitor of Janus kinases that mediates inflammation through lymphocyte activation.

To test this hypothesis, investigators conducted an industry-supported, international, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II study involving 194 adults with moderate to severe UC. Patients received placebo or one of four doses of tofacitinib (0.5 mg, 3 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg twice daily) for 8 weeks. Most p…