Adalimumab, a human monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), was initially approved for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in 2002. In the subsequent years, its anti-inflammatory properties were applied to the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, adult Crohn's disease (CD), plaque psoriasis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, adult ulcerative colitis and most recently in 2014, pediatric CD. The biologic era in pediatric CD has changed and redefined the therapeutic approach to this challenging lifelong disease. This article summarizes the clinical legacy of adalimumab with a focus on its most recent expanded indication, pediatric CD.
Keywords: Humira; adalimumab; anti-TNF-α; biologics; immunomodulation; pediatric Crohn's disease.