How Tofacitinib Works to Treat Chronic Diseases

What is tofacitinib?

Tofacitinib, sold under the brand name Xeljanz and Tofacent, is a medication recommended for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ulcerative colitis, and psoriatic arthritis. This Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor works inside the cell to alter all the activities taking place in the signaling pathways.
The JAK pathways play a crucial role in the inflammation which is associated with RA. In this article, you will learn the effectiveness of tofacitinib, prescription, the cost, uses, its action and where you can buy it.

Why is tofacitinib used for?

Tofacitinib is taken orally to treat rheumatoid arthritis among those patients who have an inadequate response to methotrexate. The drug belongs to the class of other drugs known as Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors.Other conditions treated using tofacitinib include psoriatic arthritis as well as ulcerative colitis. The drug has been approved in various countries across the world. Some of the countries where tofacitinib is already approved include Germany, Japan, United States and Switzerland with Russia coming next.

How effective is tofacitinib?

The Tofacitinib is the first oral JAK inhibitor to get an approval to treat RA. It was approved in 2012 in the United States. Tofacitinib’s effectiveness was tested by researchers based on the data collected between 2011 and 2014. The research involved 21, 832 methotrexate exposed patients suffering from RA.Some patients had newly prescribed 0.8% tofacitinib, while others were given the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in addition to 61.2% nontumor necrosis factor (TNF), 24.7%methotrxate and a 13.3% non-TNF biologics.After one year, the researchers found the following results with the therapy effectiveness:
– 15.4 % for the tofacitinib
– 11.1% for the DMARDs
– 18.6% for the TNF inhibitors
– 19.8% for the non-TNF biologics.The observation indicated that those patients on tofacitinib and no-TNF biologics showed the same improvement on the effectiveness rate. The opposite was true for those using DMARDs whereby the effect was less in comparison with non-TNF biologics users. It was concluded that tofacitinib is more effective when it comes to treating RA.

Tofacitinib mechanism of action

Tofacitinib belongs to a group of drugs commonly referred to as JAKs. JAKs are known to be enzymes capable of regulating chemical signaling pathways which control biologic processes in our bodies. Such a process involves blood formation, tenderness, swelling of inflammation and the response that is responsible for causing pain.These enzymes are located in the stem cells in our bones and joints. Their inhibition (JAKs) by the tofacitinib helps in preventing inflammation and destruction of the tissue. The two conditions are brought about due to rheumatoid arthritis in affected people.

How long tofacitinib should be taken?

First of all, the tofacitinib is taken orally twice per day. The drug comes in the form of 5mg tablets. The standard dose is the usual one tablet to be taken twice in a day. A patient can take the drug with or without food but one need to practice patience. Since different people respond to drugs differently, the same case is right with tofacitinib.

Some patients with RA can show better signs of improvement quite earlier but for others, it might take a little while. Whichever the case, patients need to keep on taking their medication as prescribed by a professional. Which is why the following studies were carried out to find out how long tofacitinib should be taken while treating rheumatic arthritis?About six studies to establish the effectiveness of XELJANZ were conducted where 4,200 adult patients affected with RA were used. The test was performed on those with and without DMARDs such as methotrexate. More than 50 percent of the tofacitinib patients showed some improvement in rheumatoid arthritis symptoms within three months.This means that patients were able to perform some essential tasks on their own after three months of using the drug. There were no more joint pains as well as swelling as a result of RA after three months of treatment.When the treatment was further extended to six months, patients exhibited less joint damage with the continuous use of tofacitinib compared to those on Methotrexate. It is evident that the tofacitinib when taken for three months, patients can realize some positive changes in their condition. But at six months, the drug is more effective.

Tofacitinib Side Effects:

There are two types of side effects can happen after taking tofacitinib-

Common side effects of tofacitinib
Serious side effects of tofacitinib

Common Side effects of tofacitinib:

If you are facing below side effects several time than contact with your doctor:

Diarrhea
Headache
Close and runny nose
Sore throat
Upper respiratory tract infections

Serious side effects of tofacitinib:

Contact with your doctor as fast as possible if you are facing below effects several time:

Too much weakness or tried
Eyes and skin looks yellow
Loss of interest in foods
Feeling pain when urinate and Darker urine
Skin rash
Vomiting
Feeling pain in stomach
Difficult to take breath
Facing allergic problems
Fever
Sudden weight loss
Night sweats.
Stabbing chest pain
Blood cough and skin redness

How much does tofacitinib cost?

Even though the number of sellers might have different prices for the same drugs, on average tofacitinib goes for $4,284 per month. But if you want to get an annual supply of medication, you can pay up to $25,000 when purchasing from a wholesaler. The cost to an individual patient may vary from store to store depending on the contract and the insurance coverage.

Where to buy tofacitinib?

For a start, you need to have a prescription of the drug from a doctor before placing your order. Buying 5 milligrams of tofacitinib can be costly. That is the reason you need to buy enough quantity for a month or even a year. What you need to do is just following the right procedure that involves five simple steps.
These steps are:
– Visiting the doctor for diagnosis and prescription
– Placing an order and then sending the prescription
– Making payment for the order
– Verifying all documents for delivery
– Receiving your medicine.

You can contact us to make your order for tofacitinib by following the above-outlined steps.

Tofacent as Xeljanz alternative medicine

Tofacent as an alternative to Xeljanz is also used to serve the same function as tofacitinib. This is a brand name manufacturer by Incepta Pharma. when buying the drug and a box has one blister strip of ten tablets. Alternatively, you may buy the drug in bottles where each contains about 60 tablets.

Summary

Tofacitinib is an effective JAK inhibitor that has recently been approved in many countries worldwide. It is useful in treating moderate to advanced rheumatoid arthritis among other chronic diseases for adults only.The drug is not suitable for expectant and breastfeeding mothers because it can have the adverse effect if used by such people. Despite showing some side effects, tofacitinib is an ideal choice for many patients affected by some chronic diseases.

Sources:

https://rheuminfo.com/docs/medications/pictos/Tofacitinib-Patient-Guide-RheumInfo_EN.pdf
https://www.universaldrugstore.com/medications/xeljanz/5mg
https://www.verywellhealth.com/xeljanz-tofacitinib-what-you-need
https://ra.xeljanz.com/about-xeljanz/safety-and-side-effects
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/xeljanz-blessing-or-curse-for-ra-patients-100414#3
https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-advisor/effectiveness-of-tofacitinib-an-oral-janus-kinase-inhibitor-in-rheumatoidarthritis/article/757356/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0096622/
http://www.inceptapharma.com/view-product.php?pid=618