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Inflammatory Bowel Disease Learning Zone

Treating IBD

Read time: 60 mins
Last updated:13th Oct 2021
Published:13th Oct 2021

The treatment landscape for inflammatory bowel disease is rapidly evolving.

  • Familiarise yourself with the pharmacological treatment options for IBD
  • Visualise the results of clinical trials with our key results figures
  • Develop your understanding of guideline recommendations for IBD management

Conventional therapy

Aminosalicylates

Aminosalicylates are a family of anti-inflammatory drugs indicated for the induction and maintenance of clinical remission in patients with mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis1,2. Though the precise mode of action of aminosalicylates remains elusive, the beneficial effects of these drugs in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease have been attributed to their ability to scavenge free radicals, inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activity, decrease the synthesis of leukotriene, prostaglandin and proinflammatory cytokines, and to protect T84 cells against peroxynitrite3. They can be administered orally or topically depending on disease location and include sulphasalazine and mesalazine 4:

Aminosalicylates are prescribed to 88–97% of patients with ulcerative colitis within one year of their initial diagnosis, with 60–87% of these patients continuing to receive aminosalicylate therapy at 10 years1. It is therefore unsurprising that aminosalicylate use is associated with substantial healthcare costs1.

There is little evidence that aminosalicylates benefit patients with Crohn’s disease and many guidelines recommend against their use for the management of this form of IBD1,5. Nevertheless, it is reported that almost one third of patients with Crohn’s disease receive long-term treatment with aminosalicylates1.

Corticosteroids

IBD flare-ups involve the reappearance of disease symptoms following a period of respite and represent a major source of concern among patients6. In addition to the subjective worsening of symptoms, objective measures of disease activity, such as serum inflammatory markers and faecal calprotectin can be used to confirm that a patient is experiencing a flare-up and help establish an appropriate course of action7.

By binding to glucocorticoid receptors, which are expressed by nearly all cells throughout the body, corticosteroids regulate a numerous metabolic, developmental, cognitive and immune processes8. As a result, these drugs inhibit multiple inflammatory pathways and are used to treat a wide range of inflammatory disorders8.

Oral corticosteroids are commonly used as “rescue” therapy to treat flare-ups of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease9. These include10:

  • prednisolone
  • prednisone
  • hydrocortisone
  • methylprednisolone
  • beclometasone dipropionate
  • budesonide
  • budesonide-MMX

The efficacy of oral corticosteroids in inducing remission in patients with mildly to moderately active IBD is well-established, and these drugs have been used for this purpose since the 1950s7. However, current evidence suggests that corticosteroids are not effective in maintaining remission in patients with IBD and long-term use of these drugs is not recommended11.

Corticosteroids are indicated for induction of clinical remission in patients with mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease4,12,13.

Corticosteroids provide rapid symptomatic relief, which can lead to inappropriate long-term use of these agents by patients despite the risk of developing severe adverse side effects including bone loss, venous thromboembolism and poor wound healing9. It is therefore important to monitor patient use of corticosteroids and offer better long-term alternatives for maintenance of remission7,9.

Immunosuppressants

In IBD, immunosuppressants, also called immunomodulators, may be used by themselves or in combination with other drugs such as biologics14. The specific modes of action of immunosuppressants vary between different drugs, but all reduce adaptive immune cell activity15. These agents may be administered orally or intravenously and act by systemically modifying the immune system, thus reducing the inflammatory response13,16,17.

Immunosuppressants may be used as part of a steroid-sparing strategy or in patients with steroid-refractory or steroid dependent IBD18.

Immunosuppressants are typically prescribed to patients who do not respond to treatment with corticosteroids18. Patients with steroid-dependent IBD, or those with complex perianal disease, may also benefit from treatment with immunosuppressants18,19. Examples of immunosuppressants include20:

  • thiopurines (azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine)
  • methotrexate
  • calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus and cyclosporine A)

Thiopurines can be used to maintain remission in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis but may take up to 6 months to take effect21–23. They are associated with an increased risk of various side effects, including leukopenia, hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis and gastric intolerance24,25. Methotrexate is also commonly prescribed for the maintenance of remission in patients with Crohn’s disease, though data does not support its use in ulcerative colitis26,27. Rare, but potentially serious side effects include leukopenia, hepatotoxicity, hypersensitive interstitial pneumonitis, gastrointestinal toxicity and infectious complications28.

Calcineurin inhibitors have a rapid onset of action and can be used as a steroid alternative during the time it takes for slower-acting agents to take effect29. Long-term use of calcineurin inhibitors is associated with an increased risk of infection, nephrotoxicity, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension, and relapse following cessation of treatment is common29. Research into the benefits of concomitant use of calcineurin inhibitors and biologic agents is ongoing29.

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