Upadacitinib

Excerpt

Upadacitinib is FDA-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is unresponsive to first-line therapy. It is a second-generation selective Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor targeting the JAK1 enzyme. Upadacitinib exerts its mechanism of action by inhibiting intracellular cytoplasmic enzymes Janus kinases (JAK), a group of four tyrosine kinases (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2) involved in the process of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). The inhibition of JAKs further hinders growth factor and cytokine-mediated signals from being transduced intracellularly by the JAK-STAT pathway. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, and other key factors pertinent to interprofessional team members in managing patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is unresponsive to first-line therapy.