What should I do if I become drug-resistant after taking Tofacitinib?

Like other JAK inhibitors, Tofacitinib is metabolized (70%) in the liver by the hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) system (primarily the CYP3A4 enzyme) and eliminated by renal clearance (30%). The drug half-life of tofacitinib tablet is 3 hours, and the drug half-life of extended-release formulation is 6 hours. TofacitinibCaution should be used when used concomitantly with moderate to severe CYP3A4 inhibitors (ketoconazole, fluconazole) and CYP3A4 inducers (rifampicin), and its use is not recommended because it may interrupt the pharmacokinetics of the drug and increase or decrease the plasma concentration of the drug.

Everyone’s constitution is different and their resistance to drugs is also different. Tofacitinib is usually a long-term drug for treating diseases. If no improvement in symptoms is found after taking it, the doctor can consider adjusting the dose of tofacitinib and increasing the concentration of the drug to improve the efficacy. For example Tofacitinib tablets for adult patients with ulcerative colitis are typically administered at 10 mg twice daily for at least 8 weeks, with the patient evaluated based on treatment response and transition to maintenance therapy at 5 mg twice daily for up to 16 weeks. If there is no improvement after 6 months of use, your doctor may decide to discontinue tofacitinib. Please inform your doctor promptly if you feel unwell.

Tofacitinib has been launched in China and has entered the scope of Class B medical insurance. The common specification is tofacitinib citrate tablets. The price paid by medical insurance is relatively cheap, butthe reimbursement ratio is different in different regions, and the price after reimbursement will be different. Overseas, there are also generic drugs of tofacitinib produced in other countries. The price of each box produced by a Bangladeshi pharmaceutical factory is around 300 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The ingredients of domestic original drugs and foreign generic drugs are basically the same, and the prices of different specifications will be different.