This retrospective multi-centric Belgian observational trial will involve all patients who have initiated adalimumab for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis prior to September 1st 2015 in a Belgian centre maintaining a prospective log of patients using biological therapy. Only patients fulfilling all Belgian reimbursement criteria for adalimumab will be included, namely having failed mesalamine and steroids or thiopurine analogues for at least 3 months, or being intolerant to this therapy, and showing a total Mayo score of at least 6 with an endoscopic sub-score of at least 2. Both short-term and long-term outcome of adalimumab therapy will be evaluated, focusing on the need and successfulness of adalimumab dose-escalation from 40mg every other week to 40mg every week, and dose de-escalation back to 40mg every other week.
Adalimumab is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis after failure of aminosalicylates plus corticosteroids and/or immunomodulators.1-4 In the registration studies for adalimumab in ulcerative colitis prior anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment was restricted; in ULTRA 1, prior anti-TNF treatment was an exclusion criterion,5 while in ULTRA 2, 40% of patients had been exposed to infliximab prior to start of adalimumab, but primary non-responders to infliximab were excluded.6 Open label real life studies have shown good responses to adalimumab in UC. However typically, these cohorts were small and most patients were anti-TNF naïve. One Italian open label study on 88 patients reported clinical remission rates of 28% and 43% at week 12 and year 1, respectively.7 No significant differences were observed between infliximab naïve and infliximab exposed UC patients. In a Belgian open label study of 73 patients previously failing infliximab, overall clinical response at week 12 and 52 were 75% and 52%, respectively.8 Adalimumab was continued without need for dose escalation throughout year 1 in 16 patients, 22 needed dose escalation and 35 discontinued treatment within 1 year. Prior response to infliximab and early serum concentrations correlated with response. While data are available in Crohn's disease,9 real life data on adalimumab dose escalation and dose de-escalation are limited in ulcerative colitis. Similarly, factors associated with need and success of dose escalation and dose de-escalation later on are almost absent.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
231
University Hospitals Leuven
Leuven, Belgium
The need and success of adalimumab dose escalation from 40mg every other week to 40mg every week in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis during adalimumab treatment
The proportion of patients requiring dose-escalation from adalimumab 40mg every other week to 40mg every week and the success rate of this intervention. Success of dose-escalation is defined based on a positive physician global assessment and absence of blood on two consecutive visits at least 3 months apart from each other. Of note: patients requiring a second intervention later on (addition of any type of steroids, addition of any immunomodulatory drug or optimization to off-label adalimumab 80 mg every week) will be regarded as failure (treatment optimization based on trough level monitoring or biomarkers alone will not be included)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Short-term (steroid-free) clinical response response to adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term clinical response is defined as a decrease in the Mayo score of at least 3 points and at least 30 percent, with an accompanying decrease in the sub-score for rectal bleeding of at least 1 point or an absolute rectal-bleeding sub-score of 0 or 1
Time frame: Week 8
Short-term (steroid-free) clinical remission response to adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term clinical remission is defined as a total Mayo score of 2 points or lower, with no individual sub-score exceeding 1 point
Time frame: Week 8
Short-term (steroid-free) clinical benefit to adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term clinical benefit is defined as a meaningful clinical response with clear improvement in symptoms at discretion of the physician
Time frame: Week 8
Short-term (steroid-free) mucosal healing under adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term mucosal healing is defined as a Mayo endoscopic sub-score of 0 or 1 at lower endoscopy performed between week 8 and 14
Time frame: Week 8
Short-term (steroid-free) complete mucosal healing under adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term complete mucosal healing is defined as a Mayo endoscopic sub-score of 0 at lower endoscopy performed between week 8 and 14
Time frame: Week 8
Short-term (steroid-free) biological response to adalimumab in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis
Short-term biological response is defined as a normalization of C-reactive protein (CRP) to \<5 mg/L in patients with an elevated CRP at baseline (≥5 mg/L) and/or a normalization of faecal calprotectin to \<250µg/g in patients with an elevated faecal calprotectin at baseline (≥250 µg/g)
Time frame: Week 8
Adalimumab dose-escalation free survival during adalimumab treatment
Adalimumab dose-escalation free survival during adalimumab treatment
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Adalimumab dose de-escalation free survival during adalimumab treatment
Adalimumab dose de-escalation free survival during adalimumab treatment
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Success of dose de-escalation within 6 months after dose de-escalation
Success of dose de-escalation is defined as a persistent use of adalimumab at a dose of 40mg every other week for at least 6 months after dose de-escalation
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Safety of adalimumab: Proportion of patients developing (serious) adverse events under adalimumab therapy during adalimumab treatment
Proportion of patients developing (serious) adverse events under adalimumab therapy during adalimumab treatment
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
UC related hospitalization during adalimumab treatment
Proportion of patient requiring ulcerative colitis related hospitalization during adalimumab treatment
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
UC related colectomy during follow-up
Proportion of patient requiring colectomy during follow-up
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Identification of variables associated with short-term outcome
Identifying variables associated with short-term outcome adalimumab
Time frame: Week 8
Identification of baseline variables associated with need for dose-escalation
Identifying variables associated with need of dose escalation to adalimumab 40mg every week; variables to be evaluated will include sex, age, disease duration, familial history, extent of disease, previous medical therapy, concomitant medical therapy, adalimumab induction scheme, baseline serum values (Hb, albumin, CRP, ...), baseline endoscopic evaluation
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
Identification of baseline variables associated with successful dose-escalation
Identifying variables associated with success of dose escalation to adalimumab 40mg every week; variables to be evaluated will include sex, age, disease duration, familial history, extent of disease, previous medical therapy, concomitant medical therapy, adalimumab induction scheme, baseline serum values (Hb, albumin, CRP, ...), baseline endoscopic evaluation
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months
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