Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
A broad comparison of many maintenance therapies helps patients and clinicians understand which drugs have trial evidence for preventing relapse or loss of response in Crohn's disease. The review highlights adalimumab, infliximab/CT-P13, and upadacitinib among treatments with supportive evidence.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adult patients with Crohn's disease (especially those on or considering biologics or JAK inhibitors), clinicians who treat IBD, and researchers evaluating comparative effectiveness of maintenance therapies.
Study Snapshot
What To Know
The review found adalimumab probably prevents clinical relapse with moderate-certainty evidence and a moderate effect size. Infliximab and the infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 also showed benefit, while upadacitinib reduced loss of clinical response.
Other agents reported as probably or possibly beneficial included certolizumab, ustekinumab, vedolizumab, and natalizumab. Endoscopic relapse could not be analysed, and safety data were judged uncertain though generally reassuring in the short term.
The analysis pooled 37 trials (7,415 participants) with trial durations ranging from about 22 weeks to 2 years. The authors used GRADE to rate certainty and network meta-analysis methods to compare treatments across studies. These results summarize comparative maintenance evidence but are limited by imprecision for some newer therapies.
If you are considering or are on a biologic or JAK inhibitor, this review provides an overview of trial-based maintenance effectiveness across many available agents, but individual treatment choices depend on prior treatment history, risks, and clinician judgment.
Keep In Mind
This entry is based on the article abstract (systematic review and network meta-analysis). The authors note imprecision for some newer therapies and could not analyse endoscopic relapse; safety conclusions are limited to short-term trial data. This is a summary of the published abstract rather than a full guideline for treatment decisions.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.