Ahead of Humira's patent cliff, AbbVie's Rinvoq notches third new use in 4 months

Thanks to the safety scrutiny on the JAK inhibitor class of drugs, AbbVie’s optimism for its Humira follow-on Rinvoq might have shifted from unbridled to cautious.

But in the meantime, the versatile treatment is piling up approvals.

On Wednesday, the FDA expanded Rinvoq’s label for the third time in the last four months, adding ulcerative colitis to its growing list of indications. This nod is for those with moderate-to-severe UC who have not improved or shown intolerance to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, such as AbbVie's own Humira.