Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Outcome of Infliximab Therapy in Pediatric Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with pediatric onset has become more prevalent during past decades. Thus, the number of patients with moderate to severe disease subtype treated with antagonists to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has concurrently risen. Most pediatric patients initially respond to these drugs but will need dose escalation during the first year of therapy. As pediatric data regarding therapeutic drug monitoring during therapy with TNF alpha-blocker adalimumab are sparse, this review focuses on the literature on therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab and how it may guide management.

Automated summary

The prevalence of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing in recent decades, leading to a rise in patients with moderate to severe disease subtype treated with TNF alpha antagonists. While most pediatric patients initially respond to these drugs, dose escalation may be required during the first year of therapy. Due to limited data on therapeutic drug monitoring during therapy with the TNF alpha-blocker adalimumab in pediatric patients, this review focuses on the literature on therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab and its potential to guide management.