PFIZER has announced that it welcomes the reimbursement of Xeljanz (tofacitinib) on the PBS for the treatment of patients aged two years or older with active polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pcJIA).
The patients would be suitable for the treatment having responded inadequately to previous therapy such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, a group of medications used in people living with inflammatory forms of arthritis, Pfizer added.
Xeljanz is a twice-daily oral medicine classified as a JAK (Janus Kinase) inhibitor that has been researched in over 45 clinical trials globally.
The active ingredient, tofacitinib, works by suppressing the activation of the immune system, which is responsible for causing autoimmune conditions like pcJIA and other inflammatory disorders, Pfizer stated.
"The availability of Xeljanz on the PBS offers subsidised access to the first and only JAK inhibitor approved in Australia for the treatment of pcJIA, in two formulations, a tablet and an oral solution - opening up new possibilities for clinicians to explore additional treatment options," said Dr Jeff Chaitow, Head of Rheumatology at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.
"Many patients living with pcJIA require injections or infusions; this drug offers relief for needle-phobic patients and their families," Chaitow said.
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