The tolerance and efficacy of a postponed retreatment with infliximab in Crohn's disease primary responders

In Crohn's disease (CD) patients naive to immunomodulators primary responding to infliximab (IFX) induction, maintenance with scheduled IFX or with immunomodulators is possible. The benefit of additional IFX infusions after failure of maintenance with immunomodulators is not known. To assess the efficacy and factors associated with efficacy of postponed IFX retreatment. All CD primary responders to an IFX induction regimen in maintenance with immunomodulators were retrospectively included when they received at least one additional IFX infusion after week 14. Efficacy was defined as clinical response at week 4 and absence of intolerance leading to discontinuation. Sixty-one patients were retreated with IFX with a 38-week median time from induction. Efficacy was achieved in 80% patients. Twelve patients had no clinical benefit: seven acute hypersensitivity reactions and five loss of response. By multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with no efficacy was a median time > 50 weeks from induction to retreatment (odds ratio = 7.38; 95%CI: 1.38-39.59; P = 0.02). Postponed retreatment with IFX in CD primary responders should be administered within 50 weeks after induction, for better efficacy and tolerance.