Adalimumab a charming treatment for Crohn's disease

Adalimumab [Humira] is associated with a better chance of maintaining clinical remission through one year than placebo in the treatment of patients with moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease, according to a large phase III trial presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2006 [Los Angeles, California, US; May 2006]. The multicentre study included over 850 such patients, and compared adalimumab 40mg, given every other week or every week, with placebo. Adalimumab maintained significantly higher clinical remission rates through week 56, compared with placebo; clinical remission rates were comparable across adalimumab treatment groups. In addition, adalimumab was more effective than placebo in maintaining steroid-free remission at 26 and 56 weeks, and in achieving fistula closure.