ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meeting Abstracts
    • All Meetings
    • PRSYM 2026
    • ACR Convergence 2025
    • Download Abstract Supplements
  • Keyword Index
  • Search
  • My Favorites
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all favorites

Abstract Number: 1518

Baricitinib and Tofacitinib in Real Life – Does Obesity Impact Response to Janus Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Yvette Meißner1, Lisa Baganz1, Matthias Schneider2, Ilka Schwarze3, Martin Feuchtenberger4, Angela Zink5 and Anja Strangfeld6, 1Programme Area Epidemiology, German Rheumatism Research Center, Berlin, Germany, 2Policlinic for Rheumatology & Hiller Research Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology & Hiller Research Unit, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany, 3Praxis internistische Rheumatologie, Leipzig, Germany, 4Rheumatologie/Klinische Immunologie, Kreiskliniken Altötting-Burghausen, Burghausen, Germany, 5Epidemiology Unit / Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) / Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany, 6Epidemiology, German Rheumatism Research Center, Berlin, Germany

Meeting: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2018

Keywords: Janus kinase (JAK), obesity, remission and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

  • Tweet
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
Session Information

Date: Monday, October 22, 2018

Title: Rheumatoid Arthritis – Treatments Poster II: PROs, Safety and Comorbidity

Session Type: ACR Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: The influence of obesity on treatment response of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is described in literature, but data on Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) are scarce. We investigated the impact of obesity on the achievement of low disease activity (LDA = DAS28-ESR<3.2) in RA patients treated with JAKi.

Methods: In the German prospective longitudinal observational cohort RABBIT (Rheumatoid Arthritis: Observation of biologic therapy) RA patients are enrolled when they start a therapy with biologics, biosimilars, JAKi or new csDMARDs. We used RABBIT data reported between March 2017 and April 2018 of patients who started either baricitinib or tofacitinib. The time of JAKi treatment start was considered as baseline. Patients were stratified according to their BMI into normal weight (<25 mg/m2), overweight (25 – <30 mg/m2) and obese (≥30 mg/m2). Treatment response of patients with a baseline DAS28≥3.2 and available follow-up information within the first 6 months was investigated. Adjusted logistic regression models were applied to analyze the impact of BMI categories on LDA achievement (vs. non-response or stopping JAKi treatment).

Results: A total of N=539 patients started a treatment with JAKi; n=355 (66%) received baricitinib and n=184 (34%) tofacitinib. Baseline characteristics stratified by BMI category are given in table 1. Obese patients were not considerably older, but less often female compared to normal weight patients. Despite lower frequency of seropositivity, obese patients presented with higher values for DAS28 and fatigue, and had a worse physical function at baseline. Most of the patients received JAKi in recommended standard dosages.

Out of n=217 patients with available information, LDA was reached within the first 6 months of treatment by 42% of patients with normal weight and 41% with overweight, but only by 19% obese patients. Remission rates (DAS28<2.6) were 20%, 24% and 11% in the respective groups.

The regression model revealed a high negative impact of obesity on the achievement of LDA compared to normal weight (table 2). A better physical function at baseline and no prior biologic treatment increased the chance for LDA. We did not find an impact of JAKi dosage or mono-/ combination therapy on the response to treatment (data not shown).

Conclusion: Obesity but not overweight had a negative impact on the achievement of LDA in RA patients treated with JAKi. Further studies are needed to investigate factors that affect treatment response in obese patients.

Table 1: Baseline characteristics of patients starting JAKi stratified by BMI categories

 

Normal weight

N=204 (37.8%)

Overweight

N=157 (29.1%)

Obesity

N=158 (29.3%)

Age in years

57.9 ± 13.6

60.5 ± 11.3

59.6 ± 10.3

Female gender

169 (83.8%)

127 (72.8%)

109 (69.0%)

RA disease duration in years

14.5 ± 10.3

13.3 ± 8.6

11.4 ± 9.3

Rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP positivity

157 (77.3%)

130 (74.7%)

106 (67.5%)

DAS28-ESR

4.3 ± 1.3

4.6 ± 1.3

4.9 ± 1.5

% of full physical function (FFbH)

64.1 ± 23.3

63.3 ± 23.8

52.3 ± 25.8

Fatigue (NRS 0-10)

4.8 ± 2.6

5.0 ± 2.7

5.8 ± 2.8

BMI in kg/m2

22.3 ±1.8

27.3 ± 1.5

34.3 ± 3.8

Patients without comorbidities

44 (21.6%)

28 (15.8%)

9 (5.7%)

Patients with ≥ 3 comorbidities

94 (46.1%)

75 (42.4%)

88 (55.7%)

No. of prior biologic treatment failures

1.4 ± 1.8

1.1 ± 1.4

1.1 ± 1.4

No. of prior csDMARD treatment failures

2.4 ± 1.2

2.1 ± 1.1

2.1 ± 1.1

Start of baricitinib

138 (67.6%)

121 (68.4%)

96 (60.8%)

Start of tofacitinib

66 (32.4%)

56 (31.6%)

62 (39.2%)

JAKi monotherapy

75 (36.8%)

63 (35.6%)

58 (36.7%)

JAKi standard dosage (baricitinib 4 mg/d or tofacitinib 10mg/d)

178 (87.7%)

149 (84.2%)

132 (84.1%)

Values are given as N (%) or mean ± standard deviation

 

Table 2: Results of the logistic regression model for the probability of achieving LDA during the first 6 months of treatment

 

Odds ratios

95% Confidence interval

Female gender

0.98

0.48; 2.05

RA disease duration

1.00

0.96; 1.04

DAS28-ESR at baseline

0.76

0.56; 1.02

Physical function

1.02

1.003; 1.03

No prior biologic (vs. ≥ 1 prior biologic)

1.97

1.03; 3.78

Therapy with Tofacitinib (vs. Barictinib)

1.23

0.61; 2.43

Overweight (vs.Normal weight)

1.01

0.51; 2.01

Obesity (vs. Normal weight)

0.44

0.19; 0.99

 


Disclosure: Y. Meißner, Pfizer, Inc., 8; L. Baganz, None; M. Schneider, None; I. Schwarze, None; M. Feuchtenberger, MSD, 5,AbbVie Inc., 5,Roche, 5,Chugai, 5,Pfizer, Inc., 5,Lilly, 5,UCB, Inc., 5; A. Zink, BMS, Lilly, Pfizer, Roche, UCB, 8; A. Strangfeld, AbbVie, BMS, Lilly, MSD, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, 8.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Meißner Y, Baganz L, Schneider M, Schwarze I, Feuchtenberger M, Zink A, Strangfeld A. Baricitinib and Tofacitinib in Real Life – Does Obesity Impact Response to Janus Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis? [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/baricitinib-and-tofacitinib-in-real-life-does-obesity-impact-response-to-janus-kinase-inhibitor-therapy-in-rheumatoid-arthritis/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print

« Back to ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2018

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/baricitinib-and-tofacitinib-in-real-life-does-obesity-impact-response-to-janus-kinase-inhibitor-therapy-in-rheumatoid-arthritis/

Advanced Search

My Favorites

Save and print abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract (must have cookies enabled in browser). See saved favorites.

Abstract Policies

  • ACR Convergence Abstract Embargo Policies
  • ACR Convergence Abstract Permissions & Reprints
  • PRSYM Abstract Policies

ACR Convergence. Where Rheumatology Meets

ACR Convergence 2026

Join us November 6-11 in Orlando, Florida.
See Registration Information

  • Contact ACR
  • Privacy Policy
  • ACR Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2026 American College of Rheumatology