VIDEO: Benefit of switching JAK inhibitors before trying injectable, infusion therapy

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I have actually studied looking at people who were on methotrexate, which is first-line rheumatoid arthritis therapy. And after they've been on one JAK inhibitor, either switching them to a biological DMARD, which would be like an anti-TNF medication, like adalimumab, also known as Humira [adalimumab, AbbVie] versus going to another JAK inhibitor. And there was actually pretty similar effectiveness, so I don't think that, we think that you have to switch from JAK inhibitors if you failed one. I think there's potential to try a different one and see how you do.

And this isn't, you know, a new thing that we see in rheumatology. We often will try patients on multiple medications within one category or one target therapeutic area and see if they get more relief with one or another because the mechanisms are slightly different. And sometimes that reason for changing is not just how effective the medication is, but how the patient's tolerating it. And so there's a lot that goes into that, how frequent the medication's being given, the route of administration. So I think that, you know, with the JAK inhibitors, because they are all oral medications, being able to switch and try a different one before considering an injectable or infusion therapy, there's a huge benefit to that.