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Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis: The Therapeutic Road to Infliximab

Pamela R Puthoor1, Edwin F de Zoeten1

  • 1University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Digestive Health Institute, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B290, Denver, USA.

Biologics in Therapy
|January 7, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) patients now have a new treatment option. Infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy, is approved for moderate-to-severe UC in children, offering an alternative to long-term corticosteroids.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Immunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ulcerative colitis (UC) presents significant challenges in pediatric populations, often requiring long-term corticosteroid use.
  • Limited treatment options exist for children with moderately-to-severely active UC who do not respond to initial therapies.
  • Chronic corticosteroid use is associated with numerous comorbidities in pediatric patients.

Approach:

  • This section details the medical management of pediatric ulcerative colitis.
  • It highlights the role of biologic therapies, specifically anti-tumor necrosis factor-α monoclonal antibodies.
  • The recent FDA approval of infliximab for pediatric UC is discussed as a key advancement.

Key Points:

  • Infliximab, a chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody, has been approved by the FDA for treating pediatric patients.
  • This approval is for children aged six years and older with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis.
  • The new treatment offers an alternative to prolonged corticosteroid therapy.

Conclusions:

  • The approval of infliximab provides a crucial new therapeutic option for pediatric UC.
  • This biologic therapy aims to induce and maintain remission while minimizing treatment-related morbidities.
  • Care providers now have an enhanced ability to manage difficult-to-treat pediatric ulcerative colitis cases.

Keywords:
GastroenterologyInfliximabPediatricTumor necrosis factor-αUlcerative colitis

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