Clinical Trial and Registry Data

Physicians rely on safety and efficacy data from pivotal trials to guide treatment decisions and manage patients. Even with robust clinical trial data, there remain questions regarding rare safety events and generalizability. Registries complement clinical trials. By evaluating effectiveness and safety in broad patient populations and often providing longer term or larger numbers of patients or both compared to clinical trials, registries consolidate and may extend the safety observations derived from pivotal trials. Our review of phase 3 clinical trial data, long-term extension studies and biologics registries shows biologics to be a safe option for short- and long-term use. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, interleukin (IL)-12/23- and IL-17-antagonists yield similar safety profiles regarding infections, malignancy and major adverse cardiovascular events. The known risk of tuberculosis activation with TNF agonists appears to be readily handled by screening. Mild to moderate candida infections and potential exacerbation or de novo onset of inflammatory bowel disease are associated with IL-17 blockade.