New hope for scleroderma: arthritis drug tofacitinib tested against skin thickening
NCT ID NCT07472166
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether tofacitinib (a JAK inhibitor drug) works better than methotrexate (a standard treatment) at reducing skin thickening in people with a severe form of scleroderma called diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Thirty-four adults with early-stage disease took either tofacitinib twice daily or methotrexate once weekly for 24 weeks. Researchers measured changes in skin hardness using a standard scoring system, along with joint symptoms and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Tofacitinib (a JAK inhibitor drug) and Methotrexate (a standard immune-suppressing drug)
- What this could lead to
- If tofacitinib works better than methotrexate, it could offer a new treatment option to reduce skin hardening and improve quality of life in people with this rare autoimmune disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center study with only 34 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Both drugs have side effects like infection risk, and the trial is short (24 weeks), so long-term benefits or risks are unknown.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Department of Rheumatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU)
Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Cancer drug shows promise for rare skin disease