Vedolizumab for the treatment of Crohn’s disease

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Crohn’s disease (CD) is an immune-mediated condition characterized by inflammation of the gut tissue, associated with progressive damage of the affected intestinal tract and possible complications. A treat-to-target approach is strongly advocated, consisting of early and aggressive inflammatory control. However, a great proportion of affected subjects lack response or are intolerant to conventional therapy. Even though the first-line biologic therapy targeting tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α) is associated with improvement of inflammation in some patients, others do not respond at first or lose response over time. These findings brought about the possibility of different mechanisms being involved in perpetuating the chronic inflammatory state. Novel drugs targeting different inflammatory pathways have been studied in CD, specifically addressed to leucocyte trafficking.

Areas covered: We aim to review the relevant data available in the literature and briefly summarize the efficacy and safety profile of vedolizumab in the treatment of CD.

Expert commentary: Vedolizumab has shown, from pivotal and real-life data, significant clinical benefit among CD patients, in addition to a singular safety profile. Future studies will provide helpful data concerning its use in special situations.

KEYWORDS:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• treatment
• biologics
• vedolizumab

Declaration of interest

S Danese has served as a speaker, consultant, and advisory board member for Schering-Plough, AbbVie, MSD, UCB Pharma, Ferring, Cellerix, Millenium Takeda, Nycomed, Pharmacosmos, Actelion, Alphawasserman, Genentech, Grunenthal, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Novo Nordisk, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, Vifor and Johnson & Johnson, Nikkiso Europe GMBH. G Fiorino has received consulting fees from Abbott Immunology, MSD, Takeda, Nikkiso Europe GMBH, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. M Argollo has served as speaker for Abbvie, Janssen, Takeda, and Pfizer. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. Of the peer reviewers, one reviewer has declared they are a scientific advisor for Takeda and one reviewer has declared they provided (paid) lectures and education (for colleagues), supported by Takeda. Takeda provided a scientific accuracy review at the request of the journal editor.

Additional information

Funding

This paper has not been funded.