Treatment With Adalimumab 80 mg Every Other Week in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results of Treatment Intensification in Clinical Practice

Marta Calvo Moya; Yago González Lama; Belén Ruíz Antorán; Ignacio Omella Usieto; Ismael El Hajra Martinez; Elena Santos Pérez; Belén Menchén Viso; Virginia Matallana Royo; Irene González Partida; Rocío de Lucas Tellez de Meneses; Pablo Bella Castillo; Macarena González Rodriguez; María Isabel Vera Mendoza

doi:10.1093/crocol/otac051

Treatment With Adalimumab 80 mg Every Other Week in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results of Treatment Intensification in Clinical Practice

Crohns Colitis 360. 2023 Jan 10;5(1):otac051. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otac051. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
² Clinical Pharmacology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
³ Hospital Pharmacy Service, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

Background: Loss of response to anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is frequent and, in case of low drug levels, treatment intensification is recommended. In addition, in cases in which clinical response without attainment of remission (clinical, endoscopic, or radiological), intensification could be justified since higher drug levels are associated with better outcomes. For adalimumab (ADA), the standard intensification regimen is 40 mg every week (ew). Availability of ADA 80 mg prefilled pens has enabled every other week (eow) intensification. We assessed the clinical efficacy of intensification with ADA 80 mg eow.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Spain. Patients with IBD receiving maintenance ADA 80 mg eow with clinical, biomarker, and drug-level assessments were included. Demographics and clinical, biological, and endoscopic evaluation of the disease before and after ADA intensification, and pharmacokinetic assessments, were collected.

Results: Eighty-seven patients (72 Crohn's disease, 15 ulcerative colitis; average age 50 years) were included. Reasons for ADA intensification were: low ADA levels-<5 µg mL^-1-(17%), low ADA levels-<5 µg mL^-1-without clinical response (63%), clinical response without clinical remission (15%) and active disease on objective evaluation (including colonoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, capsule endoscopy, and/or intestinal ultrasound; 5%). Following treatment intensification to ADA 80 mg eow, 75 patients (86%) were in clinical remission and 69 (79.3%) were in biologic remission (clinical remission and normalization of biomarkers). After a median follow-up of 19 months (interquartile range 13-25), 63 patients (72%) remained on treatment and in clinical remission. There were no serious infections, hospitalizations, or deaths. Drug costs did not increase with the 80 mg eow regimen versus a standard intensification regimen.

Conclusions: ADA intensification to 80 mg eow was safe, effective, and did not increase drug costs versus standard intensification to 40 mg ew in our experience.

Keywords: 80 mg every other week; adalimumab; clinical remission; inflammatory bowel disease; treatment intensification.