Positive results for Humira (Abbott) for pediatric patients with Crohn's Disease

Humira (adalimumab), from Abbott, is effective in maintaining remission in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, according to a new study in the journal Gastroenterology. This study is the largest double-blind study of an anti-TNF agent in children with Crohn's disease.

Researchers studied 192 patients, ages 6 to 17 years, across 45 sites in Canada, Europe and the US between April 2007 and May 2010. It found that more than 80 percent of children with moderate to severe Crohn's disease responded to adalimumab within a month (response was defined as a decrease in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index 15 points from baseline). By six months, approximately 34 percent of patients were in clinical remission, and after a year, 28.4 percent were in remission. See: "Safety and Efficacy of Adalimumab for Moderate to Severe Crohn's Disease in Children" by Jeffrey S. Hyams et al. Gastroenterology, Volume 143, Issue 2, Pages 365-374.e2, August 2012.