Ozanimod in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: Initial Real-World Data From a Large Tertiary Center.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the colon and rectum. Long-term therapy is generally required to achieve and maintain disease control.1 In May 2021 the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of ozanimod in patients with moderate to severe UC. We describe the first report of the use of ozanimod in real-world clinical practice.

Ultrasonographic Transmural Healing in Crohn's Disease.

Therapeutic targets in Crohn's disease (CD) have evolved greatly over the past several decades to include endoscopic improvement along with clinical remission. Yet CD is characterized by transmural damage, and there is increasing evidence of improved outcomes associated with transmural healing. Intestinal ultrasonography is a noninvasive, highly accurate imaging modality that provides real-time results and can assess for transmural healing in CD. In this review, we present the definition of transmural healing by ultrasonography, its comparison with other imaging modalities and with endoscopy, the efficacy of diverse therapies on achieving transmural healing, and data on patient outcomes in those achieving transmural healing. This review can guide clinicians who care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease on the added value of achieving transmural healing and its eventual incorporation as a target of therapy.

CANCER PREVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased rates of malignancies; some are disease-related (like colorectal cancer) and some are primarily associated with therapy exposures. Although there may be an overlap between disease- and therapy-related cancers, the general strategy for prevention of cancer in patients with IBD lies in understanding the risk factors for these malignancies, educating patients about the recommended screening and surveillance practices, and incorporating general screening recommendations into routine IBD care. An important limitation to our understanding of the effectiveness of our intervention and prevention strategies is the lack of studies assessing mortality benefit, but in part also a reflection of the low mortality in our IBD population. In practice, it is imperative to weigh the risks of cancer or other treatment-related complications in the context of disease progression as a result of lack of or ineffective treatment for IBD when tailoring a management plan for each patient.

Many Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Are Not Immune to Measles or Pertussis.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines emphasize vaccination for influenza and pneumococcus for IBD patients and the avoidance of live virus vaccines for those who are on immunosuppressive (ISS) therapy. Given the recent resurgence of measles and pertussis infections, we assessed the immune status of our IBD population in order to advise about these risks. METHODS: We prospectively collected measles and pertussis titers in our IBD patients from February 1-May 1, 2015. Immune status based on standard threshold values was determined: measles antibodies ≤0.8 antibody index (AI) = negative immunity, 0.9-1.1 AI = equivocal immunity and titers ≥1.2 AI = positive immunity. For pertussis immunity, anti-pertussis antibodies ≤5 IU/mL were considered negative immunity. Univariate analysis was performed to examine predictive factors including age, disease duration, and current medical therapies. RESULTS: A total of 122 patients' titers were assessed (77 Crohn's disease, 1 indeterminate colitis, and 45 ulcerative colitis). Sixteen (13.1 %) patients lacked detectable immunity to measles, and four (3 %) had equivocal immunity. Twelve (75 %) of the measles non-immune patients were on ISS therapy versus 65 (64 %) of 102 immune patients (OR 1.7, 95 % CI 0.5-5.9, p = 0.34). Out of 96 patients, 58 (60 %) were not immune to pertussis. Disease duration ≥10 years and age ≥50 were associated with significant lower measles titers. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of our IBD patients lack immunity to measles, and a majority of our IBD patients do not have detectable immunity to pertussis. Importantly, the majority of the measles non-immune patients are on ISS therapy and therefore unable to receive a booster.

The Arrival of Intestinal Ultrasound for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care in the United States.

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a noninvasive and highly reliable point-of-care tool to evaluate inflammation of the bowel. It offers comparable accuracy to endoscopy and magnetic resonance enterography. Although IUS has been incorporated into the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in other parts of the world, it has only recently arrived in the United States. However, barriers to integration of IUS into IBD care in the United States have included a lack of adoption by leading centers, lack of educational opportunities, and an unclear path for remuneration. This article provides information about the use of IUS in IBD, reviews the data comparing existing modalities of assessment of IBD with IUS, and summarizes strategies to overcome existing barriers to IUS implementation, including the newly available US-based training pathway and appropriate billing practice.

Use of Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Arthritis Associated With Ulcerative Colitis.

Tofacitinib is a Janus kinase 1-3 inhibitor initially approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and now approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). We present the case of a patient with UC and seronegative inflammatory arthritis in whom arthritis progressed while on vedolizumab and was successfully treated with tofacitinib. This case provides insight into the use of tofacitinib for the treatment of UC and a concomitant extraintestinal manifestation of joint involvement.

The Role of Biosimilars in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Monoclonal antibody biologic therapies, introduced nearly 20 years ago, revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are now well established as the most effective agents available. As the first of these biologic agents starts to come off patent, biosimilar agents have emerged as alternatives to originator drugs. The unique drug development and manufacturing processes involved in the creation of biologic agents pose distinct regulatory challenges compared to generic formulations of conventional medications. Reductions in medication costs have been proposed to be a major benefit of biosimilar therapies; however, there are concerns regarding the adequacy of the existing regulatory process and data requirements for biosimilar therapy approval, as well as the true bioequivalence of these agents. Infliximab biosimilars for the treatment of IBD have been available in Europe and Asia for a few years and are expected to become available in the United States within the next 1 to 2 years. This article reviews biosimilar therapies and the current data with respect to IBD.