Rheumatology international
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To describe disease activity and disability during the first year of follow-up, from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who discontinue tofacitinib after they end participation in a clinical trial. From 2008 to 2016, 36 patients were enrolled in the "Long term follow-up study with tofacitinib (and methotrexate) for RA treatment". At the end of the study, tofacitinib was discontinued and patients were proposed to enter an observational study; 35 agree and had scheduled evaluations at baseline, at 15 and 30 days of follow-up, at month 2 and 3, and thereafter every 3 months. ⋯ At study entry, 20 patients had remission/low disease activity; during follow-up, 85% deteriorated after (median) 30 days; among them, 23.5% recovered their baseline status after a median of 172.5 days. The HAQ showed a similar behavior, but 66.7% recovered. A substantial proportion of RA patients deteriorated outcomes early after tofacitinib cessation; some patients recovered baseline status with traditional DMARDS.