Breckenridge Pharmaceutical Inc, the US subsidiary of Spain-based Towa International that markets, distributes, and sells generic medicines in the United States, announced on Thursday the launch of Tofacitinib Tablets, the generic equivalent of Xeljanz by Pfizer, in the disease-modifying antirheumatic drug category.

Tofacitinib Tablets are Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, a class of medicines that block the activity of JAK enzymes which transmit signals arising from cytokine or growth factor-receptor interactions on the cellular membrane to influence cellular processes of haematopoiesis and immune cell function. Tofacitinib Tablets are indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), active ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC), in all cases who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to one or more tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. TNF is a substance in the body that can cause inflammation and lead to immune-system diseases, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis.

In addition, Tofacitinib Tablets are indicated for the treatment of paediatric patients 2 years of age and older with PsA and active polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis, who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to one or more TNF blockers.

Tofacitinib Tablets are available in 5 mg and 10 mg strengths and provide a flexible dosing option to support individualised treatment approaches across approved indications.

Tofacitinib Tablets are manufactured at the production facility within the international hub of Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Towa International, located in Martorelles, Barcelona, Spain. This facility has an annual production capacity of more than 6 billion doses.