Biologic Therapy of Ulcerative Colitis: Adalimumab

Abstract

Anti-TNF-α agents play a key role in the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine which causes are still unknown. After infliximab, adalimumab became the second approved drug out of this class for use in ulcerative colitis. In the pivotal ULTRA studies the efficacy of adalimumab to induce and maintain remission was demonstrated and in an extension study the durability of its therapeutic benefit was shown. The real-life experience with adalimumab is in line with the observations from the randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Some post hoc evidence supports a preferential application of adalimumab in a more moderate disease setting, particularly in patients not being previously exposed to treatment with infliximab. However, we are supposed to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the therapeutic potential of adalimumab in ulcerative colitis once the results from the high-dose induction studies will become available. The following article summarizes the existing evidence on the efficacy of adalimumab in ulcerative colitis.