Adalimumab for the treatment of Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder characterized by chronic, recurrent, often granulomatous inflammation affecting any part of the intestines, but most frequently involving the small bowel and colon. The development of novel biologic agents targeting tumor necrosis factor has revolutionized the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. Adalimumab, a fully human anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody, has recently been evaluated for Crohn's disease and was found to be effective for induction of clinical response and remission in patients with active inflammatory disease. Preliminary experience also indicates that adalimumab is useful in patients with prior intolerance or loss of response to infliximab. The rate of adverse events is comparable to other tumor necrosis factor antagonists in rheumatoid arthritis, but longer studies are needed to evaluate both the long-term efficacy and safety of adalimumab in the treatment of Crohn's disease.