This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Disease course for IBD similar in Europe despite differences in biologics
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Surgery and hospitalization rates were comparable between patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Eastern and Western Europe and also between patients from the pre- and post-biologic era despite differences in use of biologics, according to research presented at the 10th Congress of ECCO in Barcelona, Spain.
“These results indicate that the way we use these drugs (biologics, immunosuppressants) in real life, outside the randomized controlled trial setting, might not be the best way – both in terms of patient outcome and regarding health economics,” Johan Burisch, MD, PhD, from the Hvidovre University Hospital in Denmark, told Healio Gastroenterology. “But we need to dig deeper into the data, as the strategies for treatment of IBD patients obviously differ across European countries.”
Johan Burisch
Aiming to evaluate differences in disease outcome and use of biologics in patients with IBD from Eastern and Western Europe, Burisch and colleagues followed a prospective, population-based cohort (EpiCom-cohort) composed of 923 patients (52% ulcerative colitis; 37% Crohn’s disease; 11% unclassified) from six Eastern and 13 Western European countries diagnosed in 2010. They prospectively collected clinical data on surgery, biologic treatment, hospitalization and medical treatment throughout a 3-year follow-up period and compared data using a validated Web database.
By year 3, 18% of patients with CD and 2% of patients with UC from Eastern Europe underwent first resection or colectomy compared with 16% and 6% from Western Europe, respectively. Ten percent of patients with CD and 5% of patients with UC from Eastern Europe were treated with biologics compared with 27% and 11% from Western Europe, respectively. Twenty-four percent of patients with CD and 13% of patients with UC from Eastern Europe were hospitalized compared with 25% and 20% Western Europe, respectively. Surgery and hospitalization rates were statistically comparable between regions at both years 1 and 3 despite significantly more patients in Western Europe being treated with biologics (P < .05).
Risks for surgery and biologic treatment were increased in patients with CD vs. patients with UC (P < .01). The greatest risk for surgery, hospitalization and biologic therapy for patients with CD was stricturing or penetrating disease, and the greatest risk for hospitalization for patients with UC was extensive disease.
“In an era of early and aggressive immunological therapy, surgery and hospitalization rates for CD and UC patients were similar in Eastern and Western Europe and comparable to population-based cohorts from the past decade and pre-biological era,” the researchers wrote. “This similar disease course was in spite of more early and aggressive treatment with biologics, with significantly more CD and UC patients in Western Europe receiving biologics.” – by Adam Leitenberger
Reference:
Burisch J, et al. Abstract OP009. Presented at: 10th Congress of ECCO; Feb. 18-21, 2015; Barcelona, Spain.
Disclosure: Burisch reports personal fees from AbbVie, Almirall, Merck Sharp & Dohme and Tillotts outside of the submitted work. Please see the ECCO website for all other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.