VIDEO: TNF inhibitors appear safe for patients with RA-associated ILD
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SAN DIEGO — Kathryn Dao, MD, discusses a study presented at ACR Convergence 2023 that compared the initiation of TNF inhibitors with non-TNF inhibitor biologics or JAK inhibitors among patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.
“In the past, we were a little bit worried because there were reports that if a patient had rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), TNF-inhibitors may actually harm them,” said Dao, associate professor in the department of internal medicine’s division of rheumatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Findings from this study, however, suggest that there is not a need to avoid TNF inhibitors when treating patients with RA-associated ILD.
“The implication here, in my practice, is that I’m not going to shy away from using a TNF inhibitor in somebody with RA-lung,” Dao said. “In fact, I really think that it’s the inflammation that’s driving the lung disease and driving the infections and driving the morbidity and mortality associated with rheumatoid arthritis.”
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England B, et al. Abstract 1582. Presented at: ACR Convergence 2023; Nov. 10-15, 2023; San Diego.
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