Effect of biological DMARDs and JAK inhibitors in pain of chronic inflammatory arthritis

Introduction The advent of biological disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and, more recently, of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) has had a major impact on the long-term outcomes of chronic inflammatory arthritis (IA). However, the persistence of pain, even in patients with a complete pharmacological control of peripheral inflammation, represents an important clinical challenge in the treatment of IA.Areas covered In this review, we provide an overview of possible mechanisms underlying pain in IA and its assessment, as well as the effects of bDMARDs and JAKi on pain management.Expert opinion The overall data showed a good effect of bDMARDs and JAKi on pain, which is more pronounced for JAKi. However, it is challenging to distinguish the effect on the different types of pain (nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic).