Infliximab has no apparent benefit on complications related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
New drug to treat IBD (inflammatory colon and bowel disease) ultimately failed to reduce complications leading to surgery and hospitalizations, says a new study. Infliximab (or remicade) is the very first biological medication approved for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is an anti-immune treatment (anti-TNF) that blocks inflammation.
“These results are disappointing”
Scientists studied the effect of introducing the drug on Canadians with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis between 1995 and 2012. Bottom line: Only people with ulcerative colitis saw a slight drop in the number of hospitalizations.
“These results are disappointing for a therapy that has been shown to reduce IBD-related hospitalizations and surgeries in clinical trials,” says Dr. Sanjay Murthy, study author and IBD specialist at The Hospital. Ottawa. “We expected a greater reduction in these adverse effects,” he laments.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
He adds: “Even though the drug is clearly helping some people, the significant treatment benefits we expected are not visible. This suggests that we may need to improve the way we use this drug to achieve better results.”
Very disabling, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic pathologies that lead to inflammation of the intestine. They are manifested in particular by abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, weight loss and tired.
Although their frequency varies considerably from one country to another, the highest rates of IBD are found in industrialized countries, particularly in North-Western Europe and the United States. In France, approximately 5 new cases of Crohn’s disease and as many ulcerative colitis are diagnosed each year per 100,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, the prevalence is increasing exponentially in countries undergoing industrialization (Maghreb countries, Asia, South Africa, etc.).*
*Source: Inserm.
.
