Tofacitinib 5mg

Tofacitinib 5 mg acts by impeding the activity of certain enzymes, which impair the function immune system. This drug is intended for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients after the failure of methotrexate treatment. In some cases, Tofacitinib 5 mg is used together with methotrexate or other arthritis drugs.

Tofacitinib 5 mg should be used alone or together with methotrexate and other non-biologic DMARDs for the treatment of adults suffering from moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, if the treatment with methotrexate didn’t give positive results.

In 2012, Tofacitinib was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with various stages of rheumatoid arthritis, who have intolerance to methotrexate (or after the failure of methotrexate therapy). Tofacitinib belongs to the group of medications called “oral non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs” (DMARDs) and can be used both alone and together with methotrexate or other non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Tofacitinib can’t be mix with biologic DMARDs and immunosuppressant drugs like cyclosporine or azathioprine.

Tofacitinib 5 mg is the best therapy for rheumatoid arthritis with a new group of medications called “Janus kinase inhibitors”. JAKs are enzymes, which send signals from cytokines and interferons, responsible for hemopoiesis and immune regulation. Tofacitinib blocks these enzymes, which prevents the signaling of some cytokines and interleukins, responsible for the function of lymphocyte. Tofacitinib represents the first innovative oral non-biologic DMARD for RA in about 10 years.

Dosage

The common dosage of Tofacitinib is 5 mg twice a day. This drug is contraindicated in the following cases: hepatic failure, low lymphocyte count (less than 500 cells/mm3), low ANC and low hemoglobin count. Tofacitinib must be withdrawn for the treatment of lymphopenia, low concentration of red and white blood cells (neutropenia/anemia), or the dose should be decreased to 5 mg a day or until laboratory values come back to normal. It is also recommended to decrease the dose to 5 mg a day in people suffering from renal or hepatic failure, who use the powerful inhibitors of cytochrome P450 3A4 (like ketoconazole) and those receiving any concomitant drugs. Patients using the powerful CYP3A4 inducers may notice a lack of reaction to Tofacitinib 5 mg.