Ulcerative Colitis Clinical Case Review

Bharati Kochar, MD, MS, an IBD specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, discussed the chosen therapy for the patient and the reasoning behind it.

Kochar said that she told the patient that she had moderate to severe, steroid-refractory UC that was partially responsive to vedolizumab.

She recommended that the patient start tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Pfizer) while continuing to receive vedolizumab every 4 weeks. In addition, she recommended that the patient have her calprotectin monitored every 4 weeks and start a slow taper off the steroid once calprotectin levels decrease.

Kochar explained her reasoning for this treatment approach and what to tell insurers about the use of both treatments.