Staying on track with RA treatment gets harder with certain comorbidities. A new study found that about 69% of rheumatoid arthritis patients stayed on baricitinib for a full year, but those with depression or latent tuberculosis were significantly more likely to stop early. Researchers say closer attention to these conditions could help improve treatment outcomes.
A new observational study out of Greece found that roughly 69% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients remained on baricitinib — a JAK inhibitor used to treat RA — after 12 months of treatment. The research, published in Rheumatology International, tracked 135 patients across four rheumatology centers, assessing them every three months for up to a year.
When patients did stop the drug, ineffectiveness was the most common reason (nearly 60% of discontinuations), followed by side effects (about 26%). But two comorbidities stood out as major red flags: depression and latent tuberculosis infection were both independently linked to a significantly higher risk of stopping baricitinib early.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: For clinicians managing RA, these findings highlight the importance of screening for and addressing depression and latent TB before or during baricitinib therapy. Proactively managing these comorbidities could meaningfully improve drug retention and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
