Certolizumab pegol, a monthly subcutaneously administered Fc-free anti-TNFalpha, improves health-related quality of life in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Certolizumab pegol, a polyethylene glycolated Fc-free Fab' was efficacious and well tolerated in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease in a previously reported randomized, placebo-controlled study. In this paper, we report the effect of certolizumab pegol on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with moderate-to-severe active Crohn's disease (n = 292) received subcutaneous certolizumab pegol 100, 200, or 400 mg or placebo at weeks 0, 4, and 8. A post hoc analysis of the intent-to-treat population (290 patients with HRQoL data) assessed HRQoL by evaluating patients' responses to the self-administered inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ) at baseline and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. RESULTS: Patients receiving certolizumab pegol 400 mg at weeks 0, 4, and 8 demonstrated, via their IBDQ total score, significantly (P