Dr. Jonathan Kay of the University of Massachusetts Medical School told the 2018 Interdisciplinary Autoimmune Summit that biosimilar competition in Europe has reduced drug costs, made biosimilars more available and increased market share for some bio-originators. The European Union has approved 41 biosimilar drugs while the FDA has approved nine. Biosimilars in Europe lead to
Research published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics found ulcerative colitis patients with higher BMIs had a greater likelihood of biologic treatment failure. Increases in BMI also were associated with a higher risk of surgery or hospitalization. The reasons might be related to endogenous steroid production, misuse of medical steroids, or underdosing of conventional
In children with Crohn’s Disease, early use of biologic therapies helped prevent disease progression. However, it did not delay or avoid the need for surgery. Among 1,442 children with Crohn’s disease enrolled in the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Collaborative Research Group registry from 2002 to 2014, the risk of disease progression from inflammation alone to stricturing
A study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics showed bariatric surgery increased the odds of developing inflammatory bowel disease for some patients. Researchers said the risk was small and did not outweigh the benefits of weight-loss surgery. A longer length of time from surgery correlated with increased risk. Patients whose surgery had been done more
Vedolizumab is an anti-α4β7 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A recent study finds that pretreatment α4β7 expression and α4β7 receptor saturation during maintenance therapy were identified as candidate biomarkers for vedolizumab response. This assay leads to promise that we will be able to identify good candidates for biologic therapies
Reduced mortality was seen in Crohn’s patients with comorbidities who have been treated with anti-TNF’s, but primarily compared to those treated with prolonged steroids. There was a trend to positive outcomes for UC patients, but it did not meet statistical significance. Among 1,879 Crohn’s patients initiating anti-TNF therapy, there was a significantly lower risk of
A Japanese study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology showed magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) may effectively evaluate small-bowel endoscopic healing in Crohn’s disease and predict patient outcomes similar to balloon-assisted small bowel enteroscopy (BAE). Researchers found patients who did not show small-bowel healing on MRE or BAE had a higher risk of relapse, hospitalization
Neurologic involvement in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is uncommon but probably underreported, and gastroenterologists must be ready to recognize it. For example, peripheral neuropathy is reported to occur in up to 13% of IBD patients. Neurologic complications due to nutritional deficiencies are thought to be even more common. Complications may arise spontaneously from the systemic inflammation
A longitudinal study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that elevated peripheral blood eosinophils found in the white-cell differential of blood tests might better predict the severity of inflammatory bowel disease in a subgroup of patients. “These results are very important, as we are always searching for predictors of more severe disease in order
Preparation Crucial for Adolescents Transferring to Adult IBD Care
Psychological readiness, logistical barriers, appropriate selection of adult care providers is key. See the article on MedPage here.
