Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Tofacitinib, Filgotinib, and Upadacitinib in Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Real-World Cohort Study

Introduction: Tofacitinib, filgotinib, and upadacitinib are Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) available for ulcerative colitis (UC) refractory or intolerant to at least one advanced therapy; their comparative effectiveness in clinical practice remains uncertain. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including adult UC patients initiating tofacitinib, filgotinib, or upadacitinib (September 2020–June 2025). Clinical remission (partial Mayo score ≤ 1), steroid-free clinical remission, biochemical remission, and endoscopic remission (Mayo endoscopic score = 0) were assessed at predefined time-points. Baseline differences were controlled using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), and time-to-event and longitudinal analyses were performed. Results: After IPTW, the pseudo-population included 627 patients (tofacitinib = 179, filgotinib = 138, upadacitinib = 310). In the weighted cohort, clinical remission probabilities at weeks 8, 24, and 52 were 17.5%, 40.7%, and 61.3% with upadacitinib, 11.8%, 33.8%, and 54.6% with tofacitinib, and 6.7%, 29.0%, and 52.0% with filgotinib, respectively; p < 0.001 at weeks 8 and 24; p = 0.040 at week 52. Steroid-free clinical remission showed a similar gradient (14.2%, 39.2%, and 59.8% with upadacitinib; 9.2%, 31.2%, and 50.8% with tofacitinib; 4.4%, 27.6%, and 49.8% with filgotinib, respectively; all p < 0.001. Biochemical remission was also achieved more frequently with upadacitinib at weeks 8 and 16, although differences between treatments were no longer significant during maintenance. At week 52, endoscopic remission was 18.8% with tofacitinib, 36.6% with upadacitinib, and 19.5% with filgotinib (p = 0.039). Overall adverse events, particularly infections and herpes zoster, were more frequent with tofacitinib, whereas filgotinib had fewer non-serious events; serious adverse events and colectomy risk were uncommon and similar across groups. Conclusions: All three JAKis were effective, but upadacitinib yielded the highest remission rates, while tofacitinib and filgotinib differed mainly in safety, supporting individualized drug positioning according to efficacy needs and patient-specific risks.