Which drug is a tsDMARD?

Which drug is a tsDMARD?

• A. Tofacitinib
• B. MTX
• C. Infliximab
• D. HCQ

Answer: (A)

tsDMARDs are small-molecule drugs that directly inhibit intracellular signaling pathways, taken orally to modulate the immune response. Tofacitinib is a classic tsDMARD because it inhibits the JAK enzymes, blocking JAK-STAT signaling inside immune cells and reducing inflammatory activity. The other options are not tsDMARDs: methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine are traditional csDMARDs with broader, non–intracellular targets; infliximab is a biologic DMARD—a monoclonal antibody against TNF-alpha, a large molecule given by injection. In short, tofacitinib fits the tsDMARD category as an oral small-molecule inhibitor of intracellular signaling, whereas the others belong to csDMARDs or biologic DMARDs.

tsDMARDs are small-molecule drugs that directly inhibit intracellular signaling pathways, taken orally to modulate the immune response. Tofacitinib is a classic tsDMARD because it inhibits the JAK enzymes, blocking JAK-STAT signaling inside immune cells and reducing inflammatory activity. The other options are not tsDMARDs: methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine are traditional csDMARDs with broader, non–intracellular targets; infliximab is a biologic DMARD—a monoclonal antibody against TNF-alpha, a large molecule given by injection. In short, tofacitinib fits the tsDMARD category as an oral small-molecule inhibitor of intracellular signaling, whereas the others belong to csDMARDs or biologic DMARDs.