Study shows benefits of Inflectra for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns-Hospira

Data on the use of Hospira's Inflectra (infliximab), shows a comparable response in patients treated with Inflectra to that expected with the reference product, Remicade (infliximab), for inducing and maintaining remission in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Results presented from the ongoing independent, prospective, nationwide study in Hungary show that for the first 90 patients, (57 with CD and 33 with UC) treated with Inflectra, reductions compared with baseline were seen in validated measures of disease activity after both two and six weeks of treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, was also decreased during induction therapy for UC. Four of the 90 patients showed an allergic reaction to treatment, all of who had previously received anti-TNF medication.

The data reported is derived from a network of centres across Hungary and has been compiled since Inflectra entered the Hungarian market in May 2014. The study will follow individual patients with CD for a period of 108 weeks, and patients with UC for a period of 54 weeks, following induction with Inflectra. Data were presented at the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (ECCO-ibd) conference.

Comment: Biologic medicines have transformed the lives of people living with debilitating inflammatory diseases such as CD and UC, chronic conditions that affect more than 2.2 million people in Europe. However, these medicines are expensive and many eligible patients across Europe have been unable to access the treatments they need to fight the disease. Biosimilar medicines provide a more affordable alternative to high-cost originator biologic medicines while maintaining the same quality, efficacy and safety.