Clinical Experience with Adalimumab in a Multicenter Swiss Cohort of Patients with Crohn's Disease

Background: Controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD), but there is, however, only limited long-term experience with adalimumab in daily practice. Aim: To assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of adalimumab in a multicenter cohort of practice-based patients with moderate-to-severe CD. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of CD patients who received adalimumab over a 3-year period. Disease severity was scored using the Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI). Remission was defined as an HBI of <= 4 and response as a reduction in the HBI of 1 3 points at evaluation compared to the baseline. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictive variables associated with response. Results: The charts of 55 patients were reviewed; remission and response rates observed at weeks 4-6 were 52.7 and 83.6%, respectively. Remission was maintained at weeks 12, 24 and 52 in 89.6, 72.4 and 44.7% of patients, respectively. Remission and response rates were not influenced by smoking status, disease location or duration, the first month total dose, or previous infliximab therapy. The remission rate at weeks 4-6 was significantly higher in patients intolerant of infliximab as compared to those who lost response to this drug. Adalimumab was well tolerated overall. Conclusion: Adalimumab can be considered a suitable option in patients with moderate-to-severe CD, demonstrating sustained long-term effectiveness. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel