Three janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors ‐ baricitinib (Olumiant) and tofacitinib (Xeljanz) for rheumatoid arthritis, and ruxolitinib (Jakavi) for myelofibrosis ‐ have already been launched in the UK and others are currently being evaluated in a diverse range of autoimmune disorders and cancers. This article provides an overview of the properties and potential of this new class of drugs.