A review and expert opinion of the use of certolizumab for Crohn's disease

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory bowel disease with no known cure. In those patients with moderate to severe disease, the result is often a clinically debilitating condition. In the last decade, one of the most significant developments in therapy has been a class of biological agents that neutralize TNF alpha. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is the most recently FDA approved anti-TNF agent for the induction and maintenance of moderate to severely active Crohn's disease. Areas covered: The currently available evidence regarding the use of CZP in CD, the expected efficacy and possible adverse events associated with this population. Expert opinion: CZP is a TNFa inhibitor that is a safe and effective agent for treatment of CD. It has several unique features which make it useful in patients with moderate to severe disease.