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UCB have presented data at the US Digestive Disease Week meeting that showed Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) provided an effective and rapid clinical response in more than 60% of Crohn’s disease patients who were intolerant, or no longer responding to infliximab.
Over 39% of patients achieved remission by six weeks. Data also showed one-third of patients responded after receiving only the initial dose.
“Data from the UCB clinical trials program including the WELCOME and PRECiSE studies has demonstrated that certolizumab pegol is effective in inducing and sustaining clinical response in a broad range of patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease,” said David G Binion, MD, director, IBD Center.
“The addition of Cimzia into our pharmacologic armamentarium to control chronic intestinal inflammation is an important advance for patients who suffer from Crohn’s disease.”
Cimzia is the first and only PEGylated anti-TNFa (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) antibody approved for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease and maintaining clinical response in adult patients with moderate to severe active disease who have an inadequate response to conventional therapy.
Cimzia, manufactured by UCB, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 22 April 2008. The approval was based on safety and efficacy data from clinical trials in more than 1,500 patients with Crohn’s disease.
