LOS ANGELES (May 22, 2006) A variety of diseases are now treated with biologic therapies, which are derived from human tissues, because of their ability to target specific causes of inflammation compared with the general immunosuppressive effects of the chemical-based compounds that make up current therapies. In research presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2006 (DDW), several biologic therapies are successfully demonstrating remission of moderate to severe Crohn's disease, which is often unresponsive to conventional therapy. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

The studies below assess therapies for patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease, which is measured as scores on the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) of between 220 and 450. CDAI is a score of eight factors used to assess a patient's wellness, including the daily number of liquid or very soft stools, severity of abdominal pain, level of general well-being and other measures. A score of less than 150 is generally considered remission.

Adalimumab Induces and Maintains Clinical Response and Remission in Patients With Active Crohn's Disease: Results of the CHARM Trial [Abstract 686d]

Because of the similar inflammatory proteins that are increased in patients with arthritis and Crohn's disease (CD), many research teams are performing trials of arthritis medicines to evaluate their benefit for GI diseases. This study reviews the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy for active Crohn's patients with the use of adalimumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, which is already approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Adalimumab (ADA), which has previously shown positive results for inducing remission in CD, was evaluated for maintaining remission in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center
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Contact: Aimee Frank
newsroom@gastro.org
301-941-2620
American Gastroenterological Association
22-May-2006

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