Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39604587›Full record

ArticleDrug safety2025

Fracture-Related Safety Reporting of JAK Inhibitors: An Analysis from the WHO Global VigiBase.

Adrian Martinez de la Torre, Andreas Bech Clausen, Andrea M Burden, Stefan Weiler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug safety, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Adrian Martinez de la Torre *Pharmacoepidemiology Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH Zürich, HCI H 407 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
Andreas Bech Clausen *Pharmacoepidemiology Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH Zürich, HCI H 407 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
Andrea M BurdenPharmacoepidemiology Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH Zürich, HCI H 407 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
Stefan WeilerPharmacoepidemiology Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH Zürich, HCI H 407 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland. stefan.weiler@pharma.ethz.ch.ORCID 0000-0003-1087-7597

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are treatment options for autoimmune diseases. Numerous safety concerns have been raised. The European Medicines Agency updated the product information of tofacitinib to include the risk of fractures-but not for other JAK inhibitors. We conducted a global pharmacovigilance analysis of previously investigated JAK inhibitors to investigate a potential class effect.

methodsIndividual case safety reports (ICSRs) for all licensed JAK inhibitors were identified from the global WHO pharmacovigilance database. The primary outcome of interest was a bone fracture. Disproportionality analyses using reporting odds ratios (RORs) were conducted.

resultsWe identified 122,037 ICSRs for tofacitinib, 27,786 ICSRs for upadacitinib, 14,616 ICSRs for baricitinib, 830 for filgotinib, and 350 for abrocitinib. Among the ICSRs, we identified 2198 (1.8%), 634 (2.3%), and 144 (1.0%) reports, where a bone fracture was reported for tofacitinib, upadacitinib, and baricitinib, respectively. Few reports were available for the newest drugs filgotinib (10) and abrocitinib (1). JAK inhibitors were associated with increased reporting for fracture: tofacitinib (ROR 3.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.20-3.48), upadacitinib (ROR 4.23, 95% CI 3.80-4.48), baricitinib (ROR 1.80, 95% CI 1.52-2.11) and filgotinib (ROR 2.24, 95% CI 1.11-3.94). Patients with bone fractures were more often female, older and had a higher number of co-reported medications. They were more likely to use glucocorticoids, opioids, and bisphosphonates.

conclusionThe results from this pharmacovigilance analysis, based on a spontaneous reporting database associated with inherent limitations, suggest a potential risk of fractures with JAK inhibitors, indicating that a class effect cannot be ruled out.

Indexed as

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting SystemsFractures, BoneJanus Kinase InhibitorsAdultAgedAzetidinesDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPharmacovigilancePiperidinesPurinesPyrimidinesWorld Health OrganizationAzetidinesJanus Kinase InhibitorsPiperidinesPurinesPyrimidinestofacitinib

Identifiers

PMID39604587
PMCPMC11785614

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.