Skip to main content

Pfizer Announces U.S. FDA Approves Xeljanz (tofacitinib) for the Treatment of Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Pfizer Inc. announced today that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) 10 mg twice-daily (BID) for at least eight weeks, followed by Xeljanz 5 mg BID or 10 mg BID, for the treatment of adult patients in the U.S. with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC).1

“Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can significantly impact the lives of patients and has limited therapeutic options available,” said Michael Goettler, Global President, Inflammation and Immunology, Pfizer. “With the FDA approval of Xeljanz, adults living with moderately to severely active UC now have an oral option that may help achieve and maintain steroid-free remission.”

Xeljanz is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active UC. Use of Xeljanz in combination with biological therapies for UC or with potent immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and cyclosporine is not recommended.1

This approval was based on data from three pivotal Phase 3 studies from the Oral Clinical Trials for tofAcitinib in ulceratiVE colitis global clinical development program (OCTAVE Induction 1, OCTAVE Induction 2 and OCTAVE Sustain), and OCTAVE Open, an ongoing open label long-term extension study.2,3 Data from all three pivotal Phase 3 studies met their respective primary endpoints, showing a statistically significant, greater proportion of patients in remission at week 8 in the induction studies and in remission at week 52 in the maintenance study in patients with moderately to severely active UC treated with tofacitinib compared to placebo. Remission was defined as a Mayo score of 2 points or lower, with no individual subscore exceeding 1 point, and a rectal bleeding subscore of 0.i Full results from OCTAVE Induction 1, OCTAVE Induction 2 and OCTAVE Sustain were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2017.

“The FDA approval of Xeljanz is positive news for the ulcerative colitis community, a patient population that can often encounter frequent and debilitating disruptions to their daily lives,” said William J. Sandborn, MD, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and OCTAVE study investigator. “Xeljanz provides people living with ulcerative colitis and their prescribing physicians with a new oral treatment option.”

Risks observed in the UC clinical program include serious infection, including herpes zoster and opportunistic infections, malignancies (including non-melanoma skin cancer [NMSC] and lymphoproliferative disorders), gastrointestinal perforation and laboratory abnormalities. There was no discernable difference in frequency of gastrointestinal perforation between the placebo and Xeljanz arms in clinical trials of patients with UC, and many of the trial participants were receiving background corticosteroids.

Dose-dependent adverse reactions seen in patients treated with 10 mg BID, in comparison to 5 mg BID, include the following: herpes zoster infections, serious infections, and NMSC.

“What works for one ulcerative colitis patient may not work for another and some struggle with ongoing symptoms. That is why it is so critical that our patients have different treatment options available to them,” said Michael Osso, President & CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “We are thrilled to have this new treatment option available to ulcerative colitis patients. Every new treatment provides new hope to our community.”

i Mayo score is a measurement index comprised of four categories (stool frequency, rectal bleeding, findings on endoscopy, physician global assessment) that are each rated from 0 (normal) to 3 (most severe) for a total score that ranges from 0-12.

About Ulcerative Colitis

UC is a chronic and often debilitating inflammatory bowel disease that affects approximately 907,000 people in the U.S.4,5 Symptoms of UC can include chronic diarrhea with blood and mucus, abdominal pain and cramping, and weight loss.6 UC can have a significant effect on work, family and social activities.7

About Xeljanz (tofacitinib)

Xeljanz is the first and only Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved by the FDA for adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and moderately to severely active UC.

Xeljanz is now approved in more than 80 countries for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe RA, with additional applications pending globally for all three respective indications. Xeljanz was also recently approved for moderate to severe UC in Japan and Russia.

As the developer of tofacitinib, Pfizer is committed to advancing the science of JAK inhibition and enhancing understanding of tofacitinib through robust clinical development programs in the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory conditions.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING for XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR available at: http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=959.

INDICATIONS

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate. It may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate or other nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Limitations of Use: Use of Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR in combination with biologic DMARDs or with potent immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and cyclosporine is not recommended.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate or other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Limitations of Use: Use of Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR in combination with biologic DMARDs or with potent immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and cyclosporine is not recommended.

Ulcerative Colitis

Xeljanz (tofacitinib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC).
Limitations of Use: Use of Xeljanz in combination with biologic therapies for UC or with potent immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and cyclosporine is not recommended.

Working together for a healthier world®

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer_News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of May 30, 2018. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

This release contains forward-looking information about Xeljanz and a new indication in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active UC (the “new indication”), including its potential benefits, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties regarding the commercial success of Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR, including for the new indication for Xeljanz; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical trial commencement and completion dates and regulatory submission dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, including unfavorable new clinical data and additional analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations, and, even when we view data as sufficient to support the safety and/or effectiveness of a product candidate, regulatory authorities may not share our views and may require additional data or may deny approval altogether; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when any applications for the new indication or any other potential indications for Xeljanz or Xeljanz XR may be filed with regulatory authorities in any additional jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities in any other jurisdictions may approve any applications that may be pending or filed for the new indication or for any other indications for Xeljanz or Xeljanz XR, which will depend on the assessment by such regulatory authorities of the benefit-risk profile suggested by the totality of the efficacy and safety information submitted; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR, including the new indication for Xeljanz; and competitive developments.

A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results”, as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com.

1 XELJANZ Prescribing Information. May, 2018. Available at: http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=959.
2 Sandborn WJ, Su C, Sands B, et al. Tofacitinib as induction and maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(18):1723-1736.
3 Long-Term Study Of CP-690,550 In Subjects With Ulcerative Colitis (OCTAVE). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01470612?term=octave+open&rank=1. Accessed May 30, 2018.
4 Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. What is Ulcerative Colitis. http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-.... Accessed May 30, 2018.
5 Kappelman MD, et al. Recent trends in the prevalence of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in a commercially insured US population. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 2013;58:519–525.
6 Hanauer SB. Inflammatory bowel disease. N Engl J Med. 1996;334(13):841-8.
7 Irvine EJ. Quality of Life of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: Past, Present, and Future. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 2008;14(4):554-563.

Source: Pfizer Inc.

Posted: May 2018

Related articles

Xeljanz (tofacitinib) FDA Approval History

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.