tofacitinib + ustekinumab

Tofacitinib + ustekinumab is a combination therapy used off-label for the treatment of refractory inflammatory bowel diseases, particularly in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease who have failed previous biologic monotherapies. Tofacitinib is an oral small molecule Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor that blocks JAK1, JAK3, and at higher doses JAK2, thereby interfering with the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and reducing inflammation. Ustekinumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the p40 subunit shared by interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23, inhibiting their interaction with cell surface receptors on immune cells and suppressing Th1/Th17-mediated inflammatory responses. The rationale for combining these agents lies in their distinct mechanisms of action within the immune system; together they may provide synergistic efficacy in difficult-to-treat IBD cases without significantly increasing adverse events compared to monotherapy[1][3][5][10].

Brand names

Xeljanz (tofacitinib)Stelara (ustekinumab)

Other names

tofacitinib + ustekinumab