A new study reveals children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who take tofacitinib show normal or even accelerated growth rates over the long term.
Growth impairment is a known complication of juvenile idiopathic arthritis due to chronic inflammation. Tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, has been under scrutiny for its potential to disrupt growth hormone pathways.
This post hoc analysis of the tofacitinib development program looked at 225 children and adolescents, most with polyarticular-course disease, who were treated for a median of 3.6 years. Biomarkers were analyzed in 137 patients after 18 weeks.
During treatment, patients aged 12 or younger had height velocities greater than expected. Older patients showed expected growth. Height Z-scores remained stable overall. For patients in puberty with baseline height Z-scores below -1.0, significant catch-up growth was seen after 24 months. Tofacitinib did not alter growth-related biomarkers like insulin-like growth factor 1.
The study concludes tofacitinib does not harm growth and may even help during puberty, offering reassurance for pediatric rheumatology patients.