Janus kinase 1/2 inhibition with Baricitinib for treatment of anti-signal recognition particle necrotizing autoimmune myositis: a case report

Following recent success in dermatomyositis treatments, Baricitinib, a selective Janus Kinase 1/2 (JAK1/JAK2) inhibitor, has been the subject of speculation as a potential new remedy for IIM. In this case report, our patient was presented with a typical clinical symptoms of necrotizing autoimmune myositis (NAM), a subset under an umbrella of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), and was treated according to European neuromuscular center’s (ENMC) protocol but to no avail. It was then decided that Baricitinib would be administrated as a rescue treatment. In that order, this has become the very first documented use of Baricitinib against the IIM other than dermatomyositis. Despite the unfortunate adverse events of disseminated tuberculosis, Baricitinib has indeed shown a positive outcome for the patient, suggesting a possibility for future developments and treatments of NAM.