Use of biologics and small molecule drugs for the management of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis: IG-IBD clinical guidelines based on the GRADE methodology

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Healthcare Resource Use for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease in Italy

INTRODUCTION

Real-world data are used to inform decision-makers and optimise therapeutic management for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). We analysed data on the epidemiology (by using proxies of prevalence and incidence), patient characteristics, treatment patterns and associated healthcare direct costs for the management of patients with UC and patients with CD in Italy.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study used administrative databases from eight Local Health Units geographically distributed across Italy. Adult patients with a hospitalisation and/or an exemption for UC or CD were included. Study outcomes were summarised descriptively, and limited statistical tests were performed.

RESULTS

At baseline, 9255 adults with UC and 4747 adults with CD were included. Mean (standard deviation) age at inclusion was 54.0 (18.4)/48.6 (18.1) years, for UC/CD. The estimated average incidence of UC and CD for the period 2013-2020 was 36.5 and 18.7 per 100,000, respectively. The most frequently prescribed drug category for patients with UC/CD was conventional treatment [mesalazine and topical corticosteroids (67.4%/61.1%), immunomodulators and systemic corticosteroids (43.2%/47.7%)], followed by biologic treatments (2.1%/5.1%). The mean annual total direct cost per patient was 7678 euro (€), for UC and €6925 for CD.

CONCLUSION

This analysis, carried-out in an Italian clinical setting, may help to optimise therapy for patients with UC and CD and provide relevant clinical practice data to inform decision-makers.

The management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease-associated spondyloarthritis: Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) and Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) recommendations based on a pseudo-Delphi consensus

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the most frequent extraintestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). When IBD and spondyloarthritis coexist, musculoskeletal and intestinal disease features should be considered when planning a therapeutic strategy. Treatment options for IBD and SpA have expanded enormously over the last few years, but randomized controlled trials with specific endpoints focused on SpA are not available in the IBD setting. To address this important clinical topic, the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) and the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) jointly planned to draw updated therapeutic recommendations for IBD-associated SpA using a pseudo-Delphi method. This document presents the official recommendations of IG-IBD and SIR on the management of IBD-associated SpA in the form of 34 statements and 4 therapeutic algorithms. It is intended to be a reference guide for gastroenterologists and rheumatologists dealing with IBD-associated SpA.

Real-world experience of vedolizumab use in Colombian patients with inflammatory bowel disease-EXVEDOCOL

BACKGROUND

Real-world studies about the effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab (VDZ) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Latin America are scarce. Our study describes the effectiveness and safety of VDZ in Colombian patients with IBD.

METHODS

EXVEDOCOL (EXperience of VEDOlizumab in COLombia) was a retrospective, multicenter, observational study. Adults with IBD receiving a first dose of VDZ between July 2016 and October 2018 were included. The co-primary outcomes clinical response, and remission, were determined at week 14 and last visit during the maintenance phase (LVMP). The secondary outcomes, deep remission and loss of response were recorded at LVMP.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients (25 ulcerative colitis (UC), 6 Crohn's disease (CD)) were included. At week 14, clinical response was achieved by 87.1% (27/31) of the patients treated with VDZ, while loss of response was reported in 6.7% (2/30). The remission rate at week 14 was 65.5% (19/29) and 75.9% (22/29) at LVMP. Prior anti-TNF exposure was reported in 61.3% (19 patients) of whom 84.2% (16/19) achieved clinical response at week 14 and 89.5% (17/19) at LVMP. For anti-TNF naïve patients, clinical response was recorded in 91.7% (11/12) at week 14 and 100% (12/12) at LVMP.

CONCLUSIONS

High clinical remission rates and safety profile highlight VDZ as a valuable treatment option for IBD patients. Anti-TNF naïve patients may derive greater benefit from therapy. Studies with larger cohorts could confirm these findings.

Longitudinal variation of serum PCSK9 in ulcerative colitis: association with disease activity, T helper 1/2/17 cells, and clinical response of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor

AIMS

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) modulates CD4+ T cell differentiation and inflammatory response, the latter ones mediate ulcerative colitis (UC) initiation. This study intended to explore the correlation of serum PCSK9 with disease activity, T helper (h)1/Th2/Th17 cells, and clinical response of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) in UC patients.

METHODS

In 65 UC patients underwent TNFi treatment, serum PCSK9 was evaluated at baseline (W0), week (W)2, W6, and W12 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; meanwhile, Th1/Th2/Th17 cells were determined at W0 by flow cytometry. Besides, serum PCSK9 was detected in 65 healthy controls (HCs).

RESULTS

Serum PCSK9 was increased in UC patients compared to HCs (P<0.001), which also positively correlated with C-reactive protein (P=0.009), total Mayo score (P=0.018), Mayo-defined disease activity (P=0.020), Th1 (P=0.033), and Th17 (P=0.003) cells, but not Th2 cells (P=0.086) in UC patients. Interestingly, serum PCSK9 was steadily declined from W0 to W12 (P<0.001). W2-W0, W6-W0, and W12-W0 serum PCSK9 change (PCSK9 at W2, W6, or W12 minus PCSK9 at W0, respectively) was gradually becoming greater during TNFi treatment (P<0.001). Furthermore, forty-five (69.2%) patients achieved clinical response at W12, whose serum PCSK9 at W6 (P=0.041) and W12 (P=0.001) was lower, and W6-W0 (P=0.043), W12-W0 (P=0.019) serum PCSK9 change was more obvious compared to patients without clinical response at W12.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum PCSK9 is positively related to disease activity, Th1, and Th17 cells in UC patients; further, its decline correlates with TNFi response achievement in these patients.

Racial Disparities in Infliximab Efficacy for Ulcerative Colitis: Evidence Synthesis and Effect Modification Assessment

An increasing amount of research explores the role of race in clinical phenotypes and outcomes in ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to investigate racial differences in infliximab (IFX) treatment efficacy in UC. We used aggregate data from IFX trials and evidence synthesis methods to generate race-specific efficacy estimates. Then, we tested the effect modification by race by comparing the race-specific estimates derived from independent evidence syntheses. We computed ratios of relative risks (RRRs) and performed tests of statistical interaction. We analyzed data from five randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluating IFX as induction and maintenance therapy for adults with moderate-to-severe UC (875 participants; 45% Asians). We found no substantial evidence of racial differences concerning the efficacy of IFX in inducing clinical response (RRR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.66-1.20; p = 0.44), clinical remission (RRR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.24-1.44; p = 0.24), and mucosal healing (RRR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.69-1.41; p = 0.95), or maintaining clinical remission (RRR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.46-1.42; p = 0.45) and mucosal healing (RRR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.48-1.46; p = 0.53), between Asian and Caucasian populations. Future clinical studies should expand the participation of racial minorities to comprehensively assess potential racial differences in the effectiveness of advanced therapies, including IFX, in the context of treating UC.

Comparison between washed microbiota transplantation and infliximab: Medical cost during long-term management in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Both infliximab (IFX) and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) have shown the efficacy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, there has no head-to-head study on the cost-value of the such treatments on IBD. This study aimed to compare the medical costs using IFX and the new method of FMT (washed microbiota transplantation [WMT]) in the long-term management for IBD under the current health economic condition in China.

METHODS

Patients with IBD who underwent initial WMT via upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, mid-gut tube, or colonic transendoscopic enteral tubing at a university hospital between April 2013 and August 2021 and achieved the long-term sustainment with WMT or WMT combined with mesalazine until August 2022 were recruited in the real-world. The costs and hospitalizations were analyzed among two therapies mentioned above and IFX standard therapy. The charge of WMT was stable in the long term at our center, and the charge of IFX came from virtual statistics publicized by China Healthcare Security.

RESULTS

Sixty eligible patients with IBD were included in the study. The long-term costs of patients using WMT monotherapy annually or per hospitalization were lower than those on WMT combined with mesalazine, respectively ( p < 0.001, respectively). The cumulative costs of IFX at the time of 0.52 and 0.85 years exceeded that of the above WMT, respectively ( p < 0.001, respectively). Besides, patients on WMT monotherapy paid 51.1 k CNY annually in the nonsustain phase but cut down the costs by 7.2 k CNY and duration of hospitalization by 5.1 days per hospitalization when reaching the goal of sustainment.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that WMT could dramatically reduce the cost and duration of hospitalizations in the long-term sustainment in the current Chinese IBD cohort. Compared with IFX, WMT could be a good way for the patients with IBD achieving long-term sustainment and saving medical costs.

Safety and effectiveness of tofacitinib in ulcerative colitis: Data from TOFA-UC, a SN-IBD study

BACKGROUND

Real-world evidence is needed to determine the value of tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

AIM

To assess the safety and effectiveness of TOFA in clinical practice.

METHODS

TOFA-UC is a multicenter, observational study performed among the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD). All consecutive patients with UC starting TOFA from its introduction in Sicily (July 2021) to July 2022 were included.

RESULTS

111 patients were included (mean follow-up: 31.7 ± 14.9 weeks; biologic-experienced: 92.8%). Nineteen adverse events were reported (17.1%; incidence rate: 28.2 per 100 patient years), including 11 cases of hypercholesterolemia and 3 infections (no cases of herpes zoster reactivation. At week 8, the rates of clinical response, steroid free clinical remission, and CRP normalization were 74.8%, 45.0%, and 56.9%, respectively, and 68.5%, 51.4%, and 65.2%, respectively, at the end of follow-up. Eighteen patients experienced a loss of response after successful induction (21.7%; incidence rate: 33.2 per 100 patient years). Twenty-six patients (23.4%) discontinued TOFA over time, of whom 3 due to AEs, and 23 to non response or loss of response.

CONCLUSIONS

TOFA is safe and effective in patients with UC, including those with history of multiple failures to biological therapies.

Timing of proper introduction, optimization and maintenance of anti-TNF therapy in IBD: Results from a Delphi consensus

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with a rapidly growing worldwide incidence. The last decades presented rapid progress in pharmacological treatment leading in many cases to clinical and endoscopic remission, including biological treatment with anti-TNF agents.

AIM

The exact timing of introduction, optimization and maintenance of anti-TNF therapy in IBDs is not thoroughly covered in current guidelines.

METHODS

We used the Delphi panel methodology to gather the IBD experts' views and achieve consensus for clinical recommendations on introducing and maintaining anti-TNF therapy for patients with IBDs.

RESULTS

Twelve recommendations achieved a high level of consensus in two assessment rounds by 52 (1st round) and 47 (2nd round) IBD experts.

CONCLUSION

In many clinical situations, the early use of anti-TNF therapy is recommended. Nowadays, the cost-efficacy profile of anti-TNF biosimilars makes them the first-line drug in a substantial proportion of patients, thus providing the opportunity to increase access to biological therapy.

Estimation of patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease potentially eligible for biological treatment in a real-world setting

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This analysis estimated the number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients presenting criteria of eligibility for biological therapies in an Italian real-world setting.

METHODS

An observational analysis was performed on administrative databases of a sample of Local Health Units, covering 11.3% of the national population. Adult IBD patients (CD or UC) from 2010 to the end of data availability were included. Eligibility criteria for biologics were the following: Criterion A, steroid-refractory active disease; Criterion B, steroid-dependent patients; Criterion C, intolerance or contraindication to conventional therapies; Criterion D, severe relapsing disease; Criterion E (CD only), highly active CD disease and poor prognosis.

RESULTS

Of 26,781 IBD patient identified, 18,264 (68.2%) were treated: 3,125 (11.7%) with biologics and 15,139 (56.5%) non-biotreated. Among non-biotreated, 7,651 (28.6%) met at least one eligibility criterion for biologics, with criterion B (steroid-dependence) and criterion D (relapse) as the most represented (58-27% and 56-76%, respectively). Data reportioned to the Italian population estimated 67,635 patients as potentially eligible for biologics.

CONCLUSIONS

This real-world analysis showed a trend towards undertreatment with biologics in IBD patients with 28.6% being potentially eligible, suggesting that an unmet medical need still exists among the Italian general clinical practice for IBD management.

Switching from VEDOlizumab intravenous to subcutaneous formulation in ulcerative colitis patients in clinical remission: The SVEDO Study, an IG-IBD study

BACKGROUND

The administration of biological drugs in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is increasingly moving from intravenous to subcutaneous formulations.

AIMS

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vedolizumab subcutaneous administration after switching from intravenous administration in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in corticosteroid-free clinical remission.

METHODS

An observational, multicentre, prospective study was conducted by the Italian Group for the study of IBD (IG-IBD). UC patients in clinical remission (pMAYO < 2) not receiving steroids for > 8 months before the switch, and with at least 6 months of follow-up were included. Switch from intravenous to subcutaneous vedolizumab was defined as successful in patients not experiencing a disease flare (pMAYO ≥ 2) or needing oral steroids or stopping subcutaneous vedolizumab during the 6 months of follow-up after the switch.

RESULTS

Overall, 168 patients were included. The switch was a success in 134 patients (79.8%). Vedolizumab retention rate was 88.7% at month six. C-reactive protein and faecal calprotectin values did not change after the switch (p = 0.07 and p = 0.28, respectively). Ten of the 19 patients who stopped subcutaneous formulation switched back to intravenous formulation recapturing clinical remission in 80%. Side effects were observed in 22 patients (13.1%).

CONCLUSION

Effectiveness of switching from intravenous to subcutaneous vedolizumab formulation in UC patients in steroid-free clinical remission is confirmed in a real-world setting.

Recent advances in anti-inflammatory active components and action mechanisms of natural medicines

Inflammation is a series of reactions caused by the body's resistance to external biological stimuli. Inflammation affects the occurrence and development of many diseases. Anti-inflammatory drugs have been used widely to treat inflammatory diseases, but long-term use can cause toxic side-effects and affect human functions. As immunomodulators with long-term conditioning effects and no drug residues, natural products are being investigated increasingly for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this review, we focus on the inflammatory process and cellular mechanisms in the development of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, and coronavirus disease-2019. Also, we focus on three signaling pathways (Nuclear factor-kappa B, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) to explain the anti-inflammatory effect of natural products. In addition, we also classified common natural products based on secondary metabolites and explained the association between current bidirectional prediction progress of natural product targets and inflammatory diseases.

Unmet Needs in Real-World Advanced Therapy-Naïve and -Experienced Patients with Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Despite availability of advanced therapies (ATs) for ulcerative colitis (UC), many patients fail to respond to treatment. This study examined real-world clinical and humanistic outcomes associated with current treatments in patients with UC.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used US data from the Adelphi Real World Disease Specific Programme for inflammatory bowel disease from before (2017-2018) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Physicians (gastroenterologists) seeing > 5 patients/month reported patients' disease characteristics, current symptoms and treatments, and reasons for treatment choices for their next seven consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years with moderately to severely active UC before current treatment. Patients were asked to complete the EQ-5D-5L health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measure. ATs included tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), integrin receptor antagonists, interleukin-12/23 antagonists, and Janus kinase inhibitors. Patients were classified as AT-naïve or AT-experienced based on current treatment received for ≥ 8 weeks and further classified as responders or non-responders based on symptoms, disease flare status, and remission. Descriptive analyses are presented.

RESULTS

The 2017-2018 cohort included 92 physicians and 539 patients (208 [38.6%] AT-experienced). The 2020-2021 cohort included 73 physicians and 448 patients (349 [77.9%] AT-experienced). TNFis were the most common ATs. In 2017-2018, 195 (58.9%) AT-naïve and 113 (54.3%) AT-experienced patients were non-responders; in 2020-2021 this was 57 (57.6%) and 182 (52.1%). Efficacy and induction of remission were physicians' most common reasons for AT choice. Dislike of injections/infusions was the most common reason for eligible patients not receiving biologic therapy. Numerically, non-responders (both AT-naïve and AT-experienced) had more symptoms, overall pain and fatigue, and lower HRQoL scores than responders.

CONCLUSIONS

Before (2017-2018) and during the pandemic (2020-2021), over half of patients with UC did not respond to AT. Non-responders carried a high burden of disease. Alternative therapies are urgently needed to treat UC.

Complementary and alternative medicine mention and recommendations in inflammatory bowel disease guidelines: systematic review and assessment using AGREE II

BACKGROUND

Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for disease management. There is, however, a communication gap between patients and healthcare professionals regarding CAM use, where patients are hesitant to disclose CAM use to providers. The purpose of this study was to identify the quantity and assess the quality of CAM recommendations in IBD clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were systematically searched from 2011 to 2022 to find CPGs for the treatment and/or management of IBD. The Guidelines International Network (GIN) and National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) websites were also searched. Eligible CPGs were assessed using the AGREE II instrument.

RESULTS

Nineteen CPGs made CAM recommendations for IBD and were included in this review. Average scaled domain percentages of CPGs were as follows (overall CPG, CAM section): scope and purpose (91.5%, 91.5%), clarity of presentation (90.3%, 64.0%), editorial independence (57.0%, 57.0%), stakeholder involvement (56.7%, 27.8%), rigour of development (54.7%, 45.9%), and applicability (14.6%, 2.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of CPGs with CAM recommendations were of low quality and their CAM sections scored substantially lower relative to other therapies in the overall CPG. In future updates, CPGs with low scaled-domain percentages could be improved in accordance with AGREE II and other guideline development resources. Further research investigating how CAM therapies can best be incorporated into IBD CPGs is warranted.

Use of biologics for the management of Crohn's disease: IG-IBD clinical guidelines based on the GRADE methodology

A cure for Crohn's disease (CD), a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown etiology, is not available, so patients require lifelong management to keep inflammation under control. The therapeutic armamentarium has expanded with approval of several biological drugs, including infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab and ustekinumab - monoclonal antibodies that target different inflammatory pathways - and darvadstrocel, a suspension of expanded human allogeneic, adipose-derived, mesenchymal stromal cells for the treatment of refractory complex perianal fistula. Notwithstanding existing practice guidelines on medical therapy for CD, the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease felt the need to issue new guidelines focused on the use of biologics for managing the intestinal manifestations of CD and based on the GRADE methodology. This document presents recommendations regarding six clinical settings, from the induction to the maintenance of clinical remission, and from optimization and de-escalation of treatments to dealing with perianal CD and post-operative recurrence. The 19 evidence-based statements are supported by information on the quality of the evidence, agreement rate among panel members, and panel comments mainly based on evidence from real world studies.

Methodik und Interpretation retrospektiver vergleichender Krankenkassendatenstudien: Analyse von Patientendaten in einem Fallbeispiel (Teil 2)

Hintergrund

Vergleichende Krankenkassendatenstudien können wichtige Evidenz zur Bewertung der Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von Therapien in der Versorgungspraxis generieren. Ihre Interpretation ist jedoch angesichts methodischer Unsicherheiten herausfordernd.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, auf Basis einer erarbeiteten Systematik für die Methodik von vergleichenden Krankenkassendatenstudien (separater Teil 1) den Einfluss spezifischer methodischer Annahmen und Entscheidungen exemplarisch an einem Beispiel zu erläutern.

Material und Methoden

Verschiedene methodische Optionen wurden für Patienten mit prävalenter Colitis ulcerosa (CU), die eine Therapie mit Vedolizumab vs. Adalimumab starteten, analysiert. Verwendet wurden Daten der AOK PLUS. Verglichen wurde ein „composite endpoint“ (CEP), bestehend aus CU-bezogenen Hospitalisierungen und Operationen, Kortikosteroidverschreibungen, Therapiebeendigung sowie -switch.

Ergebnisse

In der Analyse wurde deutlich, dass spezifische Annahmen in den dargestellten 7 methodischen Dimensionen einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die Ergebnisse einer Studie sowie deren interne und externe Validität haben. Im Beispiel zeigte sich, dass bei Analyse des CEP Vedolizumab eine höhere Wirksamkeit als Adalimumab aufwies.

Schlussfolgerungen

Publikationen zu vergleichenden Krankenkassendatenstudien sollten transparent die getroffenen Annahmen in den 7 genannten Dimensionen darstellen und begründen, warum entsprechende Annahmen getroffen wurden.

Comparative Effectiveness Research: A Roadmap to Sail the Seas of IBD Therapies

The drug pipeline for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has dramatically expanded over the last two decades, and it is expected to further grow in the upcoming years with the introduction of new agents with different mechanisms of action. However, such an increase of therapeutic options needs to be paralleled with an appropriate development of research to help physicians in the decision-making process when choosing which drug to prescribe. On the population level, comparative effectiveness research (CER) is intended to explore and identify relevant differences-in terms of both efficacy and safety outcomes-amongst different therapeutic regimens and/or strategies, in order to find the correct placement for each treatment in the therapeutic algorithm. CER revolves around three cornerstones: network meta-analyses, head-to-head trials and real-world studies, each of which has specific pros and cons, and can therefore offer answers to different questions. In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the methodological features specific to each of these research approaches, as well as to illustrate the main findings coming from CER on IBD target therapies (i.e., biologics and small molecules) and to discuss their appropriate interpretation.

An Update on Current Pharmacotherapeutic Options for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

The main goals of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) treatment are to both induce and maintain the clinical and endoscopic remission of disease, reduce the incidence of complications such as dysplasia and colorectal carcinoma and improve quality of life. Although a curative medical treatment for UC has not yet been found, new therapeutic strategies addressing specific pathogenetic mechanisms of disease are emerging. Notwithstanding these novel therapies, non-biological conventional drugs remain a mainstay of treatment. The aim of this review is to summarize current therapeutic strategies used as treatment for ulcerative colitis and to briefly focus on emerging therapeutic strategies, including novel biologic therapies and small molecules. To date, multiple therapeutic approaches can be adopted in UC and the range of available compounds is constantly increasing. In this era, the realization of well-designed comparative clinical trials, as well as the definition of specific therapeutic models, would be strongly suggested in order to achieve personalized management for UC patients.