Effectiveness and safety of upadacitinib on adult dermatomyositis: a cohort study in China
Authors' conclusion
Upadacitinib may be a promising treatment option for adult DM, contributing to clinical improvement and GC dose reduction.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients with dermatomyositis (DM) who received upadacitinib between January 2024 and April 2025, China21 (52.5%) female
- Participants
- 40 patients
- Outcome
- Disease VAS score, mean
- Follow-up
- 6 months
Methodological detailssingle-group, followed up for 6 months
- Single-group
- Followed up for 6 months
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Mean disease visual analog scale (VAS) score at baseline
3.93 ± 1.75
Mean VAS score at 6 months (vs baseline)
1.74 ± 1.46
p < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Mean daily glucocorticoid (GC) dose · 3 and 6 months
- Baseline mean daily GC dose
- 29.03 ± 17.02 mg
- Mean daily GC dose at 3 months
- 17.66 ± 10.35 mg (p < 0.001)
- Mean daily GC dose at 6 months
- 10.65 ± 5.97 mg (p < 0.001)
Disease VAS score, mean · 3 months
- Mean VAS score at 3 months (vs baseline)
- 2.57 ± 1.56 (p < 0.001)
- Significant improvements in cutaneous involvement, ILD and manual muscle test 8 score
- all p < 0.05
Disease aggravation or relapse
- Patients with anti-MDA5 antibody with disease aggravation or relapse (only ones in the cohort)
- 4
Safety
Infection (most common complication)
- Patients with infection
- 17
- CMV viraemia
- 6
- Herpes zoster
- 3
Original publication
Effectiveness and safety of upadacitinib on adult dermatomyositis: a cohort study in China. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 7 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →