BACKGROUND: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor. Efficacy and safety 
of tofacitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis have been 
demonstrated.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the efficacy of tofacitinib for the treatment of 
nail psoriasis over a period of 52 weeks.
METHODS: In 2 identical phase 3 studies (OPT Pivotal 1 and 2), patients were 
randomized 2:2:1 to receive tofacitinib 5 mg, tofacitinib 10 mg, or placebo, 
twice daily. At week 16, placebo-treated patients were re-randomized to 
tofacitinib. This post hoc analysis of patients with existing nail psoriasis 
assessed the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) score and proportions of 
patients achieving ≥50% reduction in NAPSI from baseline (NAPSI50), NAPSI75, or 
NAPSI100.
RESULTS: Baseline mean NAPSI scores for patients treated with tofacitinib 
5 mg (N = 487), tofacitinib 10 mg (N = 476), and placebo (N = 233) twice daily 
were 27.0, 27.3, and 26.9, respectively. At week 16, significantly (all P < .05) 
more patients receiving tofacitinib 5 mg and tofacitinib 10 mg versus placebo 
twice daily achieved NAPSI50 (32.8%, 44.2% vs 12.0%), NAPSI75 (16.9%, 28.1% vs 
6.8%), and NAPSI100 (10.3%, 18.2% vs 5.1%), respectively. Improvements were 
sustained to week 52.
LIMITATIONS: Limitations include discontinuation of clinical nonresponders at 
week 28.
CONCLUSIONS: Tofacitinib treatment resulted in improvements in nail psoriasis 
versus placebo at week 16; improvements were maintained over 52 weeks 
[NCT01276639; NCT01309737].