Published in:
01-02-2017 | Original Article
Adalimumab Maintenance Treatment in Ulcerative Colitis: Outcomes by Prior Anti-TNF Use and Efficacy of Dose Escalation
Published in: Digestive Diseases and Sciences | Issue 2/2017
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Background
The impact of prior anti-TNF use on “real-life” outcomes of adalimumab therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) is not well known.
Aim
To compare the influence of prior anti-TNF use on the outcomes of adalimumab maintenance treatment in UC patients. We also assessed the effectiveness of adalimumab dose escalation.
Methods
This retrospective multicenter cohort study included consecutive UC who advanced to an adalimumab maintenance regimen. Patients in whom adalimumab was discontinued prior to week eight of treatment were excluded. The co-primary efficacy endpoints were the cumulative probabilities of adalimumab failure-free survival and colectomy-free survival. We also assessed the need for and the effectiveness of adalimumab dose escalation.
Results
Of 184 UC on maintenance treatment with adalimumab, 116 (63%) had previous anti-TNF use. After a median follow-up of 23 months (interquartile range 13–49), 112 patients (60%) maintained corticosteroid-free clinical response. Sixty-nine patients (37%) had adalimumab failure, and 22 (12%) needed colectomy. Anti-TNF-naïve patients had significantly lower adjusted rates of adalimumab failure (hazard ratio [HR] 0.65; p < 0.001), adalimumab dose escalation (HR 0.35; p = 0.002), and need for colectomy (HR 0.26; p < 0.004). Seventy-six patients (41%) needed dose escalation after secondary loss of response, and 47% of these regained response after escalation. Short-term response after escalation was identified as a significant predictor of colectomy avoidance (HR 0.53; p = 0.007).
Conclusions
In this “real-life” cohort of UC patients on maintenance treatment with adalimumab, anti-TNF-naïve patients had significantly better long-term outcomes. Adalimumab dose escalation enabled recovery of response in nearly half of patients.