Cure8 research brief
This large pediatric registry study suggests children starting infliximab biosimilars have similar 12‑month clinical outcomes and treatment durability as those starting the originator drug — reassuring for patients and families facing biosimilar use or switches.
Pediatric patients with IBD and their parents/caregivers, pediatric gastroenterologists, clinicians managing biologic therapy, and families considering or using infliximab biosimilars.
This multicenter, propensity score–matched retrospective cohort study from the ImproveCareNow registry compared children (<18) starting infliximab originator versus biosimilar between 2016–2022.
At 12 months there were no differences in steroid-free clinical remission, growth (height z-score), hematocrit, albumin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or time to drug discontinuation, hospitalization, or surgery. Fecal calprotectin was slightly higher in the biosimilar group at 12 months, but only ~30% of patients had calprotectin data.
The study size (428 matched children) and multicenter registry design strengthen the comparison, and propensity matching was used to balance key baseline factors. As with any observational registry study, unmeasured confounding and missing data (notably fecal calprotectin availability) limit causal conclusions.
This brief is grounded in the article abstract provided by the journal.
If you are a parent or clinician considering switching or starting an infliximab biosimilar, this study adds real-world pediatric data showing similar 12-month outcomes versus originator infliximab, but treatment decisions should still involve individualized clinical judgment and discussion with your care team.
This is a propensity score–matched observational study from a quality registry (ImproveCareNow). Missing data (e.g., fecal calprotectin available in ~30%) and potential unmeasured confounding are important limitations. The extract is an abstract-level summary from the journal; Cure8 did not review additional full-text beyond the provided source abstract.
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.
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