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Poster presentations: Clinical: Therapy and Observation 2020

P415 The anti-IL-23/IL-12 agent Ustekinumab is an effective and safe induction therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease refractory or intolerant to anti-TNF: a multicentre Italian study

A. Gubbiotti1, B. Barberio1, F. Zingone1, R. D’Incà1, L. Bertani2, A. Ferronato3, M.T. Urbano4, R. Sablich4, E.V. Savarino1

1Department of Surgery- Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy, 2Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 3ULSS7 Pedemontana- Santorso VI, Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Santorso, Italy, 4Gastroenterology Unit, Santa Maria Degli Angeli Hospital- Pordenone, Pordenone, Italy

Background

There are limited real-life studies in medical literature evaluating the efficacy and safety of Ustekinumab, an Anti-IL-23/Anti IL-12 agent, in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who required treatment because of refractoriness or intolerance to previous biological treatments. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of Ustekinumab in anti-TNF refractory or intolerant CD patients.

Methods

All CD patients who completed induction with Ustekinumab in three Italian IBD Units (Padua, Santorso, and Pisa) were enrolled. Patients were evaluated after induction (first intravenous dose followed by a subcutaneous dose at 8 weeks) and clinical (Harvey- Bradshaw-Index) and biochemical data, including faecal calprotectin (FC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected. Information on the need of optimisation (every 12 or 8 weeks) and adverse events were also collected. Continuous and categorical variables were expressed as mean with standard deviation (sd) and frequency with percentages, respectively. Comparisons between variables were conducted using paired t-test and chi-square test. Data were analysed using STATA11.1 software.

Results

Sixty-three patients were included (41 males, mean age 43 ± sd 13.2 years). All of them had previously been treated with at least one biologic agent and 95.2% with oral steroids. The main indications for starting therapy were: previous treatment failure (77.2%) and pharmacological intolerance (17.5%). At the time of the induction, 28.6% patients were under steroid treatment. Post induction, clinical remission was obtained in 63.5% patients, while steroid-free clinical remission in 52.4%. Moreover, a statistically significant reduction of FC (from 916 μg/l to 444 μ/l, p < 0.001) and normalisation of CRP (n = 14, 33.3%; p < 0.001) were observed. After induction, 3 adverse effects were reported, and in two treatment discontinuations was necessary (i.e. 1 case of pyelonephritis and 1 case of a re-activation of entero-cutaneous fistula). Finally, among 63 patients enrolled, 51 (80.9%) were optimised with a maintenance regimen of 8 weeks sub-cutaneous doses.

Conclusion

Our study shows that Ustekinumab seemed is effective in achieving clinical remission and steroid-free clinical remission after induction in the majority of CD patient despite the refractoriness to anti-TNF treatment. Moreover, the drug appeared safe and well tolerated. On the other hand, treatment optimisation to 8 weeks was adopted in most of the patients, in order to guarantee a better outcome.