Temporary Faecal Diversion for Refractory Perianal and/or Distal Colonic Crohn's Disease in the Biologic Era: An Updated Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We evaluated short- and long-term outcomes of temporary faecal diversion [FD] for management of refractory Crohn's disease [CD], focusing on outcomes in the biologic era. METHODS: Through a systematic literature review until March 15, 2023, we identified 33 studies [19 conducted in the biologic era] that evaluated 1578 patients with perianal and/or distal colonic CD who underwent temporary FD [with intent of restoring bowel continuity] and reported long-term outcomes [primary outcome: successful restoration of bowel continuity, defined as remaining ostomy-free after reconnection at a minimum of 6 months after diversion or at the end of follow-up]. We calculated pooled rates (with 95% confidence interval [CI]) using random effects meta-analysis, and examined factors associated with successful restoration of bowel continuity. RESULTS: Overall, 61% patients [95% CI, 52-68%; 50% in biologic era] experienced clinical improvement after FD. Stoma takedown was attempted in 34% patients [28-41%; 37% in biologic era], 6-18 months after diversion. Among patients where bowel restoration was attempted, 63% patients [54-71%] had successful restoration of bowel continuity, and 26% [20-34%] required re-diversion. Overall, 21% patients [17-27%; 24% in biologic era] who underwent FD were successfully restored; 34% patients [30-39%; 31% in biologic era] required proctectomy with permanent ostomy. On meta-regression, post-diversion biologic use and absence of proctitis was associated with successful bowel restoration after temporary FD in contemporary studies. CONCLUSION: In the biologic era, temporary FD for refractory perianal and/or distal colonic CD improves symptoms in half the patients, and bowel continuity can be successfully restored in a quarter of patients.

Development of an MRI-Based Prediction Model for Anti-TNF Treatment Failure in Perianal Crohn's Disease: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Clinical and radiologic variables associated with perianal fistula (PAF) outcomes are poorly understood. We developed prediction models for anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment failure in patients with Crohn's disease-related PAF. METHODS: In a multicenter retrospective study between 2005 and 2022 we included biologic-naive adults (>17 years) who initiated their first anti-TNF therapy for PAF after pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pretreatment MRI studies were prospectively reread centrally by blinded radiologists. We developed and internally validated a prediction model based on clinical and radiologic parameters to predict the likelihood of anti-TNF treatment failure, clinically, at 6 months. We compared our model and a simplified version of MRI parameters alone with existing imaging-based PAF activity indices (MAGNIFI-CD and modified Van Assche MRI scores) by De Long statistical test. RESULTS: We included 221 patients: 32 ± 14 years, 60% males, 76% complex fistulas; 68% treated with infliximab and 32% treated with adalimumab. Treatment failure occurred in 102 (46%) patients. Our prediction model included age at PAF diagnosis, time to initiate anti-TNF treatment, and smoking and 8 MRI characteristics (supra/extrasphincteric anatomy, fistula length >4.3 cm, primary tracts >1, secondary tracts >1, external openings >1, tract hyperintensity on T1-weighted imaging, horseshoe anatomy, and collections >1.3 cm). Our full and simplified MRI models had fair discriminatory capacity for anti-TNF treatment failure (concordance statistic, 0.67 and 0.65, respectively) and outperformed MAGNIFI-CD (P = .002 and < .0005) and modified Van Assche MRI scores (P < .0001 and < .0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our risk prediction models consisting of clinical and/or radiologic variables accurately predict treatment failure in patients with PAF.

Comparative Safety and Effectiveness of Vedolizumab to Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonist Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed to compare safety and effectiveness of vedolizumab to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist therapy in ulcerative colitis in routine practice. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study (May 2014 to December 2017) of ulcerative colitis patients treated with vedolizumab or TNF-antagonist therapy. Propensity score weighted comparisons for development of serious adverse events and achievement of clinical remission, steroid-free clinical remission, and steroid-free deep remission. A priori determined subgroup comparisons in TNF-antagonist-naïve and -exposed patients, and for vedolizumab against infliximab and subcutaneous TNF-antagonists separately. RESULTS: A total of 722 (454 vedolizumab, 268 TNF antagonist) patients were included. Vedolizumab-treated patients were more likely to achieve clinical remission (hazard ratio [HR], 1.651; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.229-2.217), steroid-free clinical remission (HR, 1.828; 95% CI, 1.135-2.944), and steroid-free deep remission (HR, 2.819; 95% CI, 1.496-5.310) than those treated with TNF antagonists. Results were consistent across subgroup analyses in TNF-antagonist-naïve and -exposed patients, and for vedolizumab vs infliximab and vs subcutaneous TNF-antagonist agents separately. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of serious adverse events (HR, 0.899; 95% CI, 0.502-1.612) or serious infections (HR, 1.235; 95% CI, 0.608-2.511) between vedolizumab-treated and TNF-antagonist-treated patients. However, in TNF-antagonist-naïve patients, vedolizumab was less likely to be associated with serious adverse events than TNF antagonists (HR, 0.192; 95% CI, 0.049-0.754). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of ulcerative colitis with vedolizumab is associated with higher rates of remission than treatment with TNF-antagonist therapy in routine practice, and lower rates of serious adverse events in TNF-antagonist-naïve patients.

Effectiveness of Reinduction and/or Dose Escalation of Ustekinumab in Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) treated with ustekinumab who experience inadequate response, or loss of response after standard induction and/or maintenance dosing may benefit from dose escalation. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of reinduction and/or dose interval shortening of ustekinumab in patients with active CD despite standard induction and maintenance. METHODS: Through a systematic literature search through March 31, 2021, we identified 15 cohort studies in 925 adults with CD with inadequate response or loss of response to standard dose ustekinumab, underwent dose escalation (reinduction and/or dose interval shortening to <8 weeks), and reported rates of achieving clinical response, corticosteroid-free clinical remission, endoscopic response, and/or remission. We calculated pooled rates (with 95% confidence intervals) using random effects meta-analysis and examined factors associated with response to dose escalation through qualitative synthesis of individual studies. RESULTS: On meta-analysis, 55% of patients (95% confidence interval, 52%-58%) with inadequate response or loss of response who underwent ustekinumab dose escalation achieved clinical response, with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 57%). Approximately 61% of patients were able to achieve endoscopic response, including 29% who achieved endoscopic remission. Dose interval shortening alone recaptured response in 57% patients. No consistent factors associated with response to dose escalation were identified on qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSION: In real word settings, ustekinumab dose escalation was effective in achieving response in patients with CD with inadequate response, or loss of response to standard dose induction and/or maintenance therapy.

Paternal Exposure to Immunosuppressive and/or Biologic Agents and Birth Outcomes in Patients With Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to inform the safety of exposure to immunosuppressive and/or biologic agents around conception in expectant fathers with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) on birth outcomes. METHODS: Using a deidentified administrative claims database (OptumLabs Data Warehouse), we identified 7453 expectant fathers with IMIDs (inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis) linked to newborns with periconception medication exposure between 38 and 60 weeks before the newborn birth date (34-58 weeks prior for preterm newborns) and neonatal follow-up for 3 months after the birth date. Through logistic regression adjusting for paternal age and race (and, in a subset, for maternal age, race, presence of IMIDs, and nonsingleton births), we compared the risk of major congenital malformations (primary outcome) and preterm birth and low birth weight in fathers exposed to thiopurines (n = 461), methotrexate (n = 171), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α antagonists (n = 1082), or non-TNF-targeting biologic agents (n = 132) vs fathers not exposed to any of these medications (n = 5607). RESULTS: As compared to unexposed fathers (3.4% prevalence of major congenital malformations), exposure to thiopurines (relative risk [RR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-1.76), methotrexate (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.21-1.55), TNF-α antagonists (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.81-1.57), and non-TNF-targeting biologic agents (RR, 1.75; 95% CI, 0.80-3.24) was not associated with increased risk of major congenital malformations. No association was observed between paternal medication exposure and risk of preterm birth or low birth weight. Results were stable on subanalyses of linked father-mother-newborn triads. CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort study of 7453 expectant fathers with IMIDs, exposure to immunosuppressive or biologic agents around conception was not associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Understanding Determinants of Patient Preferences Between Stool Tests and Colonoscopy for the Assessment of Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence is now available in support of using fecal biomarkers to monitor disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patient adherence is often cited as a barrier to implementation. We assessed patient determinants for using stool tests to monitor disease activity. METHODS: Prospective interview of IBD patients using an analytic hierarchy matrix survey built to understand preferences for choosing between stool testing or colonoscopy for monitoring disease activity, after considering different test criteria (accuracy, preparation, pain, complications). Theoretical thresholds of misclassification were posed to patients to see how they might consider shifting from colonoscopy to stool testing. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients (n = 51 CD, n = 46 male) were interviewed with median age and disease duration of 44 years (IQR 27-63) and 9 years (IQR 5-21), respectively. Stool-based testing was preferred over colonoscopy by 60% initially; however, a majority of participants changed their choice to colonoscopy after learning more about the diagnostic performance of currently available stool tests for disease monitoring (p < 0.001). Across all sub-groups, accuracy was ranked as the top criterion when choosing between stool-based testing and colonoscopy for disease activity assessments. Most patients were willing to choose stool-based testing over colonoscopy for disease monitoring if the stool test was wrong at most 1 in 20 times (5% misclassification rate). DISCUSSION: Accuracy is the most important criteria for IBD patients when choosing monitoring strategies, and a high degree of confidence is required of stool test results for patients to choose this strategy.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: safety and tolerability of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with pre-existing inflammatory bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors may variably impact patients with pre-existing autoimmune diseases. AIMS: To evaluate the risks and outcomes of adverse events in patients with pre-existing inflammatory bowel diseases treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. METHODS: Through a systematic literature review up until July 31, 2020, we identified 12 studies reporting the impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors in 193 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Outcomes of interest were relapse of inflammatory bowel disease, need for corticosteroids and/or biologics to manage inflammatory bowel disease relapse, and discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We calculated pooled rates (with 95% confidence intervals [CI]) using random effects meta-analysis, and examined risk factors associated with adverse outcomes through qualitative synthesis of individual studies. RESULTS: On meta-analysis, 40% patients (95% CI, 26%-55%) experienced relapse of inflammatory bowel disease with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Among patients who experienced relapse, 76% (95% CI, 65%-85%) required corticosteroids, and 37% (95% CI, 22%-53%) required biologic therapy. Overall, 35% patients (95% CI, 17%-57%) with inflammatory bowel disease discontinued immune checkpoint inhibitors. Gastrointestinal perforation and abdominal surgery due to immune checkpoint inhibitor complications occurred in <5% patients. In a large study, inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) were associated with a higher risk of relapse than programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 40% of patients with pre-existing inflammatory bowel diseases experience relapse with immune checkpoint inhibitors, with most relapsing patients requiring corticosteroids and one-third requiring biologics. CTLA-4 inhibitors may be associated with higher risk of relapse.

Predicting Response to Vedolizumab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Vedolizumab is known to be safe, well-tolerated, and effective. However, as personalization becomes an increasingly important aspect of IBD care and in lieu of guidelines to inform clinicians on positioning of biologics, there is a need to reliably predict response to inform patient preferences and shared decision-making. Recent data from clinical trials and real-world evidence have elucidated predictors of clinical and endoscopic response while providing the framework to establish predictive models. Current models are able to predict that those patients with less severe disease, without prior biologic exposure and who demonstrate early response to VDZ have the highest rates of durable clinical and endoscopic response and remission. When incorporating these models into clinical practice, clinicians will be able to identify those patients who are likely to respond before drug initiation as well as early non-responders and response latency after initiation of vedolizumab. In a shift toward personalization of medicine in IBD, the ability of predictive models for vedolizumab to aid pre-biologic and early management will inform both clinician and patient. Ideally this will provide both a personalized and more cost-effective approach, though further studies in cost-analysis in this framework are needed. Though current models are comprehensive of existing data, future research on microbial and translational biomarkers will be additive and necessary to provide full personalization of treatment.

Development and Validation of Clinical Scoring Tool to Predict Outcomes of Treatment With Vedolizumab in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We created and validated a clinical decision support tool (CDST) to predict outcomes of vedolizumab therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: We performed logistic regression analyses of data from the GEMINI 1 trial, from 620 patients with UC who received vedolizumab induction and maintenance therapy (derivation cohort), to identify factors associated with corticosteroid-free remission (full Mayo score of 2 or less, no subscore above 1). We used these factors to develop a model to predict outcomes of treatment, which we called the vedolizumab CDST. We evaluated the correlation between exposure and efficacy. We validated the CDST in using data from 199 patients treated with vedolizumab in routine practice in the United States from May 2014 through December 2017. RESULTS: Absence of exposure to a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist (+3 points), disease duration of 2 y or more (+3 points), baseline endoscopic activity (moderate vs severe) (+2 points), and baseline albumin concentration (+0.65 points per 1 g/L) were independently associated with corticosteroid-free remission during vedolizumab therapy. Patients in the derivation and validation cohorts were assigned to groups of low (CDST score, 26 points or less), intermediate (CDST score, 27-32 points), or high (CDST score, 33 points or more) probability of vedolizumab response. We observed a statistically significant linear relationship between probability group and efficacy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.65), as well as drug exposure (P < .001) in the derivation cohort. In the validation cohort, a cutoff value of 26 points identified patients who did not respond to vedolizumab with high sensitivity (93%); only the low and intermediate probability groups benefited from reducing intervals of vedolizumab administration due to lack of response (P = .02). The vedolizumab CDST did not identify patients with corticosteroid-free remission during TNF antagonist therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We used data from a trial of patients with UC to develop a scoring system, called the CDST, which identified patients most likely to enter corticosteroid-free remission during vedolizumab therapy, but not anti-TNF therapy. We validated the vedolizumab CDST in a separate cohort of patients in clinical practice. The CDST identified patients most likely to benefited from reducing intervals of vedolizumab administration due to lack of initial response. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT00783718.

In the absence of head-to-head trials, what do real world studies tell us about the comparative effectiveness of biologics in Crohn's disease.

Head-to-head clinical trials are the highest quality of evidence to support comparative effectiveness. However, there are currently no head-to-head phase 3 clinical trials of biologics in Crohn's Disease. With a need for direct comparisons but lagging RCTs, Real World Data (RWD) can provide evidence on the comparative effectiveness of biologics for a diverse population that is more generalizable to routine practice. The majority of available real-world comparative analyses show no significant difference in effectiveness outcomes-primarily clinical remission and CD related complications. Real-world data is limited by its susceptibility to bias and clinicians must critically evaluate the methods and data sources utilized. Moving forward, it is important to note that comparisons including newer biologics may be limited by significant prior biologic exposure. Additionally, shared decision making incorporates efficacy, safety, and tolerability with patient preference and clinicians should use data from real-world comparative analyses as a part of this equation.

Changes in Vedolizumab Utilization Across US Academic Centers and Community Practice Are Associated With Improved Effectiveness and Disease Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Vedolizumab effectiveness estimates immediately after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are limited by use in refractory populations. We aimed to compare treatment patterns and outcomes of vedolizumab in 2 time frames after FDA approval. METHODS: We used 2 data sets for time trend analysis, an academic multicenter vedolizumab consortium (VICTORY) and the Truven MarketScan database, and 2 time periods, May 2014-June 2015 (Era 1) and July 2015-June 2017 (Era 2). VICTORY cumulative 12-month clinical remission, corticosteroid-free remission, and mucosal healing rates, and Truven 12-month hospitalization and surgery rates, were compared between Eras 1 and 2 using time-to-event analyses. RESULTS: A total of 3661 vedolizumab-treated patients were included (n = 1087 VICTORY, n = 2574 Truven). In both cohorts, CD and UC patients treated during Era 2 were more likely to be biologic naïve. Compared with Era 1, Era 2 CD patients in the VICTORY consortium had higher rates of clinical remission (31% vs 40%, P = 0.03) and mucosal healing (42% vs 58%, P < 0.01). These trends were not observed for UC. In the Truven database, UC patients treated during Era 2 had lower rates of inflammatory bowel disease-related hospitalization (22.4% vs 9.6%, P < 0.001) and surgery (17.2% vs 9.4%, P = 0.008), which was not observed for CD. CONCLUSION: Since FDA approval, remission and mucosal healing rates have increased for vedolizumab-treated CD patients, and vedolizumab-treated UC patients have had fewer hospitalizations and surgeries. This is likely due to differences between patient populations treated immediately after drug approval and those treated later.

Shorter Disease Duration Is Associated With Higher Rates of Response to Vedolizumab in Patients With Crohn's Disease But Not Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD), but not ulcerative colitis (UC), of shorter duration have higher rates of response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists than patients with longer disease duration. Little is known about the association between disease duration and response to other biologic agents. We aimed to evaluate response of patients with CD or UC to vedolizumab, stratified by disease duration. METHODS: We analyzed data from a retrospective, multicenter, consortium of patients with CD (n = 650) or UC (n = 437) treated with vedolizumab from May 2014 through December 2016. Using time to event analyses, we compared rates of clinical remission, corticosteroid-free remission (CSFR), and endoscopic remission between patients with early-stage (≤2 years duration) and later-stage (>2 years) CD or UC. We used Cox proportional hazards models to identify factors associated with outcomes. RESULTS: Within 6 months initiation of treatment with vedolizumab, significantly higher proportions of patients with early-stage CD, vs later-stage CD, achieved clinical remission (38% vs 23%), CSFR (43% vs 14%), and endoscopic remission (29% vs 13%) (P < .05 for all comparisons). After adjusting for disease-related factors including previous exposure to TNF antagonists, patients with early-stage CD were significantly more likely than patients with later-stage CD to achieve clinical remission (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.02-2.49), CSFR (aHR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.66-6.92), and endoscopic remission (aHR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.06-3.39). In contrast, disease duration was not a significant predictor of response among patients with UC. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CD for 2 years or less are significantly more likely to achieve a complete response, CSFR, or endoscopic response to vedolizumab than patients with longer disease duration. Disease duration does not associate with response vedolizumab in patients with UC.

Retrospective Analysis of Safety of Vedolizumab in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are few real-world data on the safety of vedolizumab for treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). We quantified rates and identified factors significantly associated with infectious and non-infectious adverse events in clinical practice. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of data from a multicenter consortium database (from May 2014 through June 2017). Infectious and non-infectious adverse events were defined as those requiring antibiotics, hospitalization, vedolizumab discontinuation, or resulting in death. Rates were quantified as proportions and events per 100 patient years of exposure (PYE) or follow up (PYF). We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors significantly associated with events and reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Our analysis comprised 1087 patients (650 with CD and 437 with UC; 55% female; median age, 37 years) with 861 PYE and 955 PYF. Infections were observed in 68 patients (6.3%; 7.9 per 100 PYE, 7.1 per 100 PYF); gastrointestinal infections (n = 31, 2.4 per 100 PYE, 2.2 per 100 PYF) and respiratory infections (n = 14, 1.6 per 100 PYE, 1.5 per 100 PYF) were the most common. Arthralgias were the most common non-infectious adverse events (n = 31, 2.9%; 3.6 per 100 PYE). Two patients developed malignancies (squamous cell skin cancer and colorectal cancer; 0.23 per 100 PYE, 0.21 per 100 PYF). Active smoker status (OR, 3.39) and number of concomitant immunosuppressive agents (corticosteroids or immunomodulators; OR, 1.72 per agent) used were independently associated with infections. CONCLUSION: In a retrospective cohort study of patients with IBD, we found vedolizumab to be well tolerated with an overall favorable safety profile. Active smoking and concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents were independently associated with infections.

Correction: Vedolizumab for Ulcerative Colitis: Treatment Outcomes from the VICTORY Consortium.

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Vedolizumab for Ulcerative Colitis: Treatment Outcomes from the VICTORY Consortium.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to quantify the safety and effectiveness of vedolizumab (VDZ) when used for UC, and to identify predictors of response to treatment. METHODS: Retrospective review (May 2014-December 2016) of VICTORY Consortium data. Adults with follow-up after starting VDZ for clinically active UC were included. Primary effectiveness outcomes were cumulative rates of clinical remission (resolution of all UC-related symptoms) and endoscopic remission (Mayo endoscopic sub-score 0). Key secondary effectiveness outcomes included cumulative rates of corticosteroid-free remission and deep remission (clinical remission and endoscopic remission). Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to identify independent predictors of treatment effectiveness. Non-response imputation (NRI) sensitivity analyses were performed for effectiveness outcomes. Key safety outcomes were rates of serious infection, serious adverse events, and colectomy. RESULTS: We included 321 UC patients (71% prior TNFα antagonist exposure, median follow-up 10 months). The 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission and endoscopic remission were 51% and 41%, respectively. Corresponding rates for corticosteroid-free remission and deep remission were 37% and 30%, respectively. Using NRI, 12-month rates were 20% (n = 64/321) for clinical remission, 17% (n = 35/203) for endoscopic remission, 15% (n = 30/195) for corticosteroid-free remission, and 14% (n = 28/203) for deep remission. A majority of the patients without adequate follow-up at 12 months who were deemed non-responders using NRI had already achieved clinical remission (n = 70) or a significant clinical response (n = 36) prior to 12 months. VDZ discontinuation prior to 12 months was observed in 91 patients, for lack of response (n = 56), need for surgery (n = 29), or adverse event (n = 6). On multivariable analyses, prior exposure to a TNFα antagonist was associated with a reduced probability of achieving clinical remission (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.38-0.75) and endoscopic remission (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.88). Serious adverse events and serious infections were reported in 6% and 4% of patients, respectively. Overall cumulative rates of colectomy over 12 months were 13%, with lower rates observed in patients naive to TNFα antagonist therapy (2%) than those who had been exposed to TNFα antagonists (19%). CONCLUSION: In this large real-world cohort we observed that VDZ was well tolerated and effective in achieving key clinical outcomes.

Development and Validation of a Scoring System to Predict Outcomes of Vedolizumab Treatment in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: As more treatment options for inflammatory bowel diseases become available, it is important to identify patients most likely to respond to different therapies. We created and validated a scoring system to identify patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who respond to vedolizumab. METHODS: We collected data from the GEMINI 2 phase 3 trial of patients with active CD treated with vedolizumab for 26 weeks (n = 814) and performed logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with clinical, steroid-free, and durable remission (derivation set). We used these data to develop a clinical decision support tool, which we validated using data from 366 participants in a separate clinical practice observational cohort of patients with active CD treated with vedolizumab for 26 weeks (the VICTORY cohort). We evaluated the ability of this tool to identify patients in clinical remission or corticosteroid-free remission, or those with mucosal healing (MH), clinical remission with MH, or corticosteroid-free remission with MH after vedolizumab therapy using receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) analyses. The primary outcome was to develop and validate a list of factors associated with achieving remission by vedolizumab in patients with active CD. RESULTS: In the derivation analysis, we identified absence of previous treatment with a tumor necrosis factor antagonist (+3 points), absence of prior bowel surgery (+2 points), absence of prior fistulizing disease (+2 points), baseline level of albumin (+0.4 points per g/L), and baseline concentration of C-reactive protein (reduction of 0.5 points for values between 3.0 and 10.0 mg/L and 3.0 points for values >10.0 mg/L) as factors associated with remission. In the validation set, our model identified patients in clinical remission with an AUC of 0.67, patients in corticosteroid-free remission with an AUC of 0.66, patients with MH with an AUC of 0.72, patients in clinical remission with MH with an AUC of 0.73, and patients in corticosteroid-free clinical remission with MH with an AUC of 0.75. A cutoff value of 13 points identified patients in clinical remission after vedolizumab therapy with 92% sensitivity, patients in corticosteroid-free remission with 94% sensitivity, patients with MH with 98% sensitivity, patients with clinical remission and MH with 100% sensitivity, and patients with corticosteroid-free clinical remission with MH with 100% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated a scoring system to identify patients with CD most likely to respond to 26 weeks of vedolizumab therapy. Further studies are needed to optimize its accuracy in select populations and determine its cost-effectiveness.

Predictors and Management of Loss of Response to Vedolizumab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: We quantified loss of response (LOR) to vedolizumab (VDZ) in clinical practice and assessed the effectiveness of VDZ dose intensification for managing LOR. Methods: Retrospective review (May 2014-December 2016) of a prospectively maintained inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) registry. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to determine rates of LOR to VDZ . Independent predictors of LOR were identified using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. Success of recapturing response (>50% reduction in symptoms from baseline) and remission (complete resolution of symptoms) after dose intensification was quantified. Results: Cumulative rates for VDZ LOR were 20% at 6 months and 35% at 12 months, with slightly lower rates in Crohn's disease than in ulcerative colitis (6 months 15% vs 18% and 12 months 30% vs 39%, P = 0.03). On multivariable analysis, LOR to a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist before VDZ use was associated with an increased risk for LOR to VDZ [hazard ratio (HR) 1.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.97] in all patients. For Crohn's disease patients specifically, higher baseline C-reactive protein concentration was associated with increased risk for LOR to VDZ (HR 1.01 per mg/dL increase, 95% CI 1.01-1.02). Shortening of VDZ infusion interval from 8 to every 4 or 6 weeks recaptured response in 49% and remission in 18% of patients. Conclusions: LOR to a TNF antagonist before VDZ use and higher baseline C-reactive protein are important predictors of VDZ LOR. Treatment response can be recaptured in almost half of these patients with VDZ infusion interval shortening.