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Tofacitinib is a Janus kinase inhibitor recently approved for treating moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. A known side effect of this drug class is an elevation in lipid levels. It is unclear whether this elevation is seen in patients taking tofacitinib for ulcerative colitis and, if so, whether it has any clinical consequence.
In an industry-supported study, investigators analyzed lipid concentrations and major adverse cardiovascular events from the known registration trial data. Over 1000 patients with tofacitinib exposure of up to 61 weeks were included. After 8 weeks of treatment, there was greater increase from baseline in total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL levels in patients on tofacitinib versus placebo, and these levels remained ele…