Pharmaceuticals
Cryptococcosis After Initiation of Janus Kinase Inhibitors or Biologic DMARDs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Three Pairwise Active-Comparator Analyses of Propensity Score-Matched TriNetX Cohorts, 2005–2025
By Ying Xiu Tay, Yiting He, Malcolm Koo and 1 others.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Comparative safety evidence for cryptococcosis during advanced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy is limited. We compared newly recorded cryptococcosis after initiation of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (TNFi), and non-TNF biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (non-TNF bDMARDs).
Methods
Three retrospective active-comparator analyses were conducted in the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network: JAKi versus TNFi, JAKi versus non-TNF bDMARDs, and TNFi versus non-TNF bDMARDs. After 1:1 propensity score matching, outcomes from day 1 to 10 years after initiation, capped at 30 June 2025, were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. E-values assessed sensitivity to unmeasured confounding.