Despite significant advances in medical and surgical therapy for perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease (CD), treatment results are still modest, and a specific need for more effective therapies is a reality. Darvadstrocel is composed of expanded human allogeneic mesenchymal adult stem cells extracted from adipose tissue and constitutes the first stem cell therapy for perianal fistulizing CD to receive approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This therapy is injected in both internal and external openings, as well as inside the fistula tracks, to induce fistula healing. In this monograph, the authors review the preclinical pharmacology of darvadstrocel, as well as pharmacokinetics and metabolism, and cover the main indications and detailed information on the efficacy and safety profile of the agent. Possible interactions with other agents used to treat CD are also explored. Darvadstrocel is a safe and effective therapy for perianal complex fistulas in CD, and represents the beginning of a new era of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in this difficult phenotype of the disease.
Keywords: Crohn's disease; Darvadstrocel; Gastrointestinal disorders; Mesenchymal stromal cells; Perianal fistulas.
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