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Cyclosporin for Crohn's disease.
1Academic Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|February 1, 1987
Summary
Oral cyclosporin showed promise for treating active Crohn's disease in a small trial. Most patients experienced symptom relief and improved health markers, though relapses occurred after stopping the drug.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
- Conventional treatments are often ineffective for some patients.
- Unmet needs exist for alternative Crohn's disease therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral cyclosporin in patients with active, uncomplicated Crohn's disease.
- To assess treatment response based on clinical symptoms, weight changes, and C-reactive protein levels.
- To determine the relapse rate after cyclosporin discontinuation.
Main Methods:
- Oral cyclosporin was administered to eight patients with active Crohn's disease for six weeks.
- Dosage averaged 8.2 mg/kg/day.
- Patient outcomes were monitored for symptomatic improvement, weight gain, and serum C-reactive protein levels.
Main Results:
- Seven out of eight patients (87.5%) responded positively to cyclosporin treatment.
- Observed improvements included symptomatic relief, weight gain, and normalization of C-reactive protein.
- All patients experienced disease relapse upon cessation of cyclosporin therapy.
- No severe adverse events were reported during the treatment period.
Conclusions:
- Oral cyclosporin demonstrates potential as an effective short-term treatment for active Crohn's disease.
- The drug appears well-tolerated, with no serious side-effects noted.
- Further clinical trials are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings and explore long-term efficacy.