Efficacy, safety and drug survival of thioguanine as maintenance treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective multi-centre study in the United Kingdom

Abstract Background Thioguanine (TG) is a thiopurine which has been used for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who have failed azathioprine (AZA) or mercaptopurine (MP) due to adverse events or suboptimal response. Its widespread use has been hampered due to concerns about nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) of the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose TG therapy in IBD patients failing AZA and MP. Methods A retrospective multicentre study was performed in IBD patients who failed prior treatment with conventional thiopurines with or without following immunomodulation (thiopurine-allopurinol, biologicals, methotrexate, tacrolimus) and were subsequently treated with TG as rescue monotherapy between 2003 and 2019 at three hospitals in the United Kingdom. Clinical response, adverse events, laboratory results, imaging and liver biopsies were retrospectively collected. Results A total of 193 patients (57% female and 64% Crohn’s disease) were included, with a median daily TG dose of 20 mg (range: 20–40 mg), a median treatment duration of 23 months (IQR 10–47) and a median follow-up of 36 months (IQR 22–53). The clinical response rate at 12 months was 65 and 54% remained on TG until the end of follow-up. Adverse events consisted primarily of elevated liver tests (6%), myelotoxicity (7%) and rash (5%). NRH was histologically diagnosed in two patients and two other patients (1%) developed non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. The median 6-TGN and TPMT levels were 953 pmol/8 × 105 RBC (IQR 145–1761) and 47 mu/L (IQR 34.5–96). Conclusions Long-term follow-up suggests that TG can be an effective and well-tolerated therapy in more than half of difficult-to-treat and multi-therapy failing IBD patients. Findings of this study indicate that TG can be used safely and the occurrence of hepatotoxicity was low. The incidence rate of NRH was within the background incidence.

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P477 Italian real-life study evaluating the long-term effectiveness of vedolizumab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: the elderly cohort

Journal of Crohn s and Colitis ◽

10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz203.606 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S419-S422

Author(s):

D Pugliese ◽

G Privitera ◽

A Armuzzi

Keyword(s):

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

Real Life ◽

Treatment Persistence ◽

Diagnosis Of Cancer ◽

Inflammatory Bowel ◽

New Diagnosis

Abstract Background Vedolizumab (VDZ) is the first biological therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) tested, in pivotal trials, on patients up to 80 years old and has usually been presented as a safer choice in frail patients. However, real-world data on the effectiveness and safety of VDZ in elderly (≥ 65 years) are scarce. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness and safety of VDZ in a large real-life cohort of elderly IBD patients, with a 2 years follow-up. Methods The Long-term Italian Vedolizumab Effectiveness (LIVE) study included CD and UC patients started on VDZ from April 2016 to June 2017 at 40 centres of the Italian Group for the study of inflammatory bowel disease (IG-IBD). Patients were prospectively followed-up to June 2019. Co-primary endpoints were to evaluate cumulative VDZ treatment persistence and safety. Results Of 966 patients, 174 (18%; 81 CD, 93 UC) were ≥ 65 years old at enrolment. Mean disease duration at baseline was 10.9 years ± SD10 (CD 12.5 ± 11, UC 9.6 ± 9). VDZ was used as a first biologic therapy in 78 patients (44.8%). 25 patients (14.4%) had a history of previous cancer. The majority of CD patients had a stricturing behaviour (45, 55.6%) and had already undergone surgery (41, 49.4%). 48 UC patients (51.6%) had extensive colitis. Moderate-to-severe endoscopic activity was present in 80% of CD and in 92% of UC, according to SES-CD and endoscopic Mayo score, respectively. Cumulative VDZ treatment persistence at 12 and 24 months was 71.8% (71.6% CD and 72.0% UC) and 54% (54.2% CD and 53.8%% UC), respectively. 52.9% (40 CD; 52 UC), 4.0%, 3.5%% and 2.9% of patients were on concomitant steroids at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Clinical remission at 12 and 24 months was achieved in 28.7% (31 CD and 29 UC) and in 31.6% (25 CD and 30 UC) of patients. Mean C-reactive protein was 15.6 mg/l ± SD 20 (CD 15.9 ± 21; UC 15.2 ± 19) at baseline and dropped to 8.4 mg/l ± 10 (CD 8.0 ± 8, UC 8.9 ± 11) at 12 months and to 5.9 mg/l ± 6 (CD 5.8 ± 5, UC 6 ± 7) at 24 months. Dose escalation was necessary for 20.3% and 24.7% of patients within the first 12 and 24 months. 44 adverse events were reported: 16 infections.,6 new diagnosis of cancer/dysplasia (2 colon, 1 kidney, 1 prostate, 1 lung, 1 melanoma), 4 arthritis, 3 skin rash, 2 drug-induced cholestasis,11 miscellaneous. 11 patients (6.3%) underwent VDZ withdrawal because of adverse events (6 new diagnosis of cancer/dysplasia; 4 infections; 1 cholestasis). One patient died for pneumonia complications. Conclusion In this preliminary analysis of the largest reported real-world cohorts of elderly IBD patients treated with VDZ, up to 55% of patients persisted on therapy after two years; an acceptable safety profile was observed throughout the entire follow-up period.

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P548 Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics after switching from infliximab originator to biosimilar SB2 in inflammatory bowel disease patients: A long-term observational, prospective cohort study

Journal of Crohn s and Colitis ◽

10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz203.676 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S466-S467

Author(s):

S Fischer ◽

S Mesfin ◽

E Klenske ◽

H Schmitt ◽

F Vitali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

Patient Visit ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Inflammatory Bowel

Abstract Background SB2 is a biosimilar infliximab approved for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. These are the first prospective data investigating long-term efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics after switching from infliximab originator to biosimilar SB2 in IBD patients. Methods This is a prospective, observational cohort study of patients that underwent a switch from infliximab originator to biosimilar SB2 in 2017 as part of routine care at the outpatient Clinic for IBD at the University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany. Long-term safety and clinical effectiveness were recorded over a follow-up period of 18-months. Clinical disease activity was assessed by the Harvey–Bradshaw Index (HBI) in Crohn’s disease (CD) and the partial Mayo Score (pMS) in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) was analyzed at every patient visit, and IFX trough-level (TL) and anti-IFX antibodies (ADA) were measured prior to every SB2 administration, using the Promonitor® tests. The occurrence of adverse events was registered at every patient visit. Results A total of 148 IBD patients (96 CD, 52 UC) was enrolled. The median duration of previous infliximab treatment before the switch was 29 months (range 1.0–110.0). Median disease activity in CD was an HBI of 3 (0–16) at switch (baseline), 2 (0–13) at month 6, 3 (0–15) at month 12 and 2.5 (0–11) at month 18. Median disease activity in UC was a pMS of 0 (0–6) at baseline, 1 (0–4) at month 6, 1 (0–4) at month 12 and 1 (0–5) at month 18. The median TL for all IBD patients was 6.3 mg/ml (0.1–33.7) at baseline, 5.0 mg/ml (0.1–34.3) at month 6, 6.3 mg/ml (0.1–35.8) at month 12 and 5.1 mg/ml (0.1–35.4) at month 18. CRP for all IBD patients was 2.2 mg/l (0.1–45.6) at baseline, 2.2 mg/l (0.1–90.4) at month 6, 2.3 mg/l (0.1–169.5) at month 12 and 2.7 mg/l (0.1–19.8) at month 18. In the 18-month follow-up period, 12/103 (11.7%) of patients who were ADA-negative at baseline developed ADA post-switch. Altogether, 40 (27%) IBD patients discontinued SB2 treatment during the 18-month follow-up period (4 anaphylaxis, 20 loss of response, 7 non-serious and 9 serious adverse events), 2 paused during pregnancy, 1 discontinued in clinical remission, 10 were lost to follow-up (7 change of physician, 3 unknown). Serious adverse events comprised 3 malignancies (breast and prostate carcinoma, neuroendocrine malignancy), 1 liver abscess and 5 intestinal surgical procedures (1 perforation, 1 ileus, and 3 stenoses). Conclusion Switching from IFX originator to biosimilar SB2 was not associated with an increase in disease activity. No clinically meaningful changes in IFX trough levels or immunogenicity were identified. Altogether, SB2 was well tolerated in a real-life setting.

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