To compare the long-term safety profiles of different biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Approach:
Study Design: A population-based longitudinal study utilizing advanced statistical methods, including inverse probability weighting, to address biases in observational data.
Data Source: Anonymised clinical data were extracted from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System in Hong Kong, covering a population of over 7.3 million residents.
Population: Included adult patients (≥18 years) with rheumatoid arthritis who initiated at least one b/ts DMARD from 2009 to 2022.
Key Findings:
The long-term safety of commonly used biologic and targeted synthetic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis is broadly similar across agents.
Tocilizumab was associated with a higher rate of hospitalization compared to etanercept.
Tofacitinib was linked to an elevated risk of gastritis.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study may be limited by the observational nature and potential residual confounding.
Findings may not be generalizable beyond the Hong Kong population.
Conclusion:
The study provides robust comparative safety data for b/ts DMARDs.
