Cure8 research brief
Patients and clinicians considering sequencing of advanced UC therapies may care because this study reports differences in how long patients stayed on second-line treatment depending on the order of anti-TNF agents and tofacitinib. Longer persistence can reflect tolerability, perceived benefit, or access factors.
Adults with ulcerative colitis, clinicians who prescribe biologics or JAK inhibitors, and researchers studying treatment sequencing and real-world outcomes.
This nationwide Korean claims-based cohort study compared sequencing of advanced therapies in ulcerative colitis: starting with an anti-TNF agent then switching to tofacitinib (A→T) versus starting with tofacitinib then switching to an anti-TNF (T→A).
After propensity-score matching, the study found longer persistence on second-line therapy for patients who switched from an anti-TNF to tofacitinib than for those who switched from tofacitinib to an anti-TNF. First-line persistence did not differ significantly between the sequences. Key details: the analysis included 314 adults (273 A→T, 41 T→A).
The T→A group was younger and had less baseline steroid use. Progression to third-line therapy was more common in the T→A group (41.5% vs 19.8%). The study used Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims data and applied Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox models with propensity-score matching.
What this means for patients: this observational claims analysis suggests that, in this dataset, switching from an anti-TNF to tofacitinib was associated with better second-line persistence than the reverse sequence. Persistence is a health-system and patient-behavior outcome (duration on therapy) and does not directly measure effectiveness or safety.
This is a retrospective claims-based observational study from Korea, so results reflect treatment patterns, prescribing, and reimbursement context there. Persistence is influenced by multiple factors (efficacy, side effects, patient preference, policy). The study design cannot prove causation and the T→A group was much smaller (n=41).
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Conflict statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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