RA treatment beyond the conventional:
Will JAK inhibitors disrupt our treatment paradigms?

Welcome

Dear Delegate

On behalf of our esteemed faculty, I am delighted to welcome you to this symposium, which will focus on how and why the introduction of janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have changed the treatment paradigm for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) now and into the future.

I will begin by illustrating that, as with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, we have come to learn that JAK inhibitors have unique pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and clinical characteristics that have important implications for efficacy and safety. I will also introduce the topics of residual unmet need and patient preference in the treatment of RA, with reference to real-world data. Professor John Isaacs will then discuss the JAK isoforms and their functional roles in inflammation, define JAK selectivity, and consider the potential advantages and disadvantages of inhibiting one JAK over another. Next, Professor Andrea Rubbert-Roth will illustrate treatment options for patients with RA with an inadequate response to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and summarize recent clinical developments that indicate how JAK inhibitors may assist these patients including the challenging patient group needing monotherapy. In the final presentation, I will consider how JAK inhibitors may influence future treatment for our most difficult to treat patients—those with an inadequate response to multiple biologic DMARDs. Our symposium will close with a panel discussion on current and future topics relevant to use of JAK inhibitors in RA, including where in the patient journey they may be used, monotherapy versus combination treatment options, alignment with patient preferences, and management of practical issues associated with JAK inhibition. JAK inhibition is here to stay and this session will give the audience an opportunity to update their knowledge, voice their opinions, and ask questions.

We are delighted that you have joined us at this stimulating and educational event, and look forward to hearing your views on these important subjects.

Kind regards

Associate Professor Peter Nash

Symposium Chair