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  1. Drug Safety and Availability

FDA requires warnings about increased risk of serious heart-related events, cancer, blood clots, and death for JAK inhibitors that treat certain chronic inflammatory conditions

Approved uses also being limited to certain patients

12/2021 Update: The issues described below have been addressed in product labeling. Health care professionals and patients can access the approval letters and latest prescribing information in Drugs@FDA: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR, Olumiant, Rinvoq

This information is an update to the FDA Drug Safety Communication issued on February 4, 2021. FDA also previously communicated about the safety clinical trial with Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib) in February 2019 and July 2019.

Español 药物安全通讯 Drug Safety Podcast

09-01-2021  FDA Drug Safety Communication

Drug Safety Communication (PDF - 255 KB)

Based on a completed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of a large randomized safety clinical trial, we have concluded there is an increased risk of serious heart-related events such as heart attack or stroke, cancer, blood clots, and death with the arthritis and ulcerative colitis medicines Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib). This trial compared Xeljanz with another type of medicine used to treat arthritis called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The trial’s final results also showed an increased risk of blood clots and death with the lower dose of Xeljanz. A prior DSC based upon earlier results from this trial, reported an increased risk of blood clots and death only seen at the higher dose.

We are requiring new and updated warnings for two other arthritis medicines in the same drug class as Xeljanz, called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, Olumiant (baricitinib) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib). Olumiant and Rinvoq have not been studied in trials similar to the large safety clinical trial with Xeljanz, so the risks have not been adequately evaluated. However, since they share mechanisms of action withXeljanz, FDA considers that these medicines may have similar risks as seen in the Xeljanz safety trial.

Two other JAK inhibitors, Jakafi (ruxolitinib) and Inrebic (fedratinib), are not indicated for the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions and so are not a part of the updates being required to the prescribing information for Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR, Olumiant, and Rinvoq. Jakafi and Inrebic are used to treat blood disorders and require different updates to their prescribing information. If FDA becomes aware of any additional safety information or data that warrants updates to the prescribing information for these medicines, we may take further action and will alert the public.

 

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