Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 29, 2025
Evaluating Therapeutic Interventions in the SHIP-deficient Mouse Model of Crohn Disease-like Ileitis and Fibrosis
Published on: October 14, 2025
Physician Practice Patterns in Holding Inflammatory Bowel Disease Medications due to COVID-19, in the SECURE-IBD
Manasi Agrawal1, Erica J Brenner2, Xian Zhang2
1The Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
Physicians often continued inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies during COVID-19 infection, though immunomodulators and anti-TNF drugs were more frequently stopped. Ulcerative colitis patients were less likely to discontinue IBD medication compared to Crohn's disease patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Physician practices regarding Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) therapy during COVID-19 infection are not well-defined.
- The Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SECURE-IBD) registry provides a platform to study these patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe physician practice patterns in holding or continuing IBD therapy in patients with active COVID-19 infection.
- To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with stopping IBD medications during COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Data were collected from the SECURE-IBD registry, including information on stopped IBD medications, demographics, and clinical data.
- Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize patients who stopped IBD medications due to COVID-19.
Main Results:
- Of 1499 patients, 34.6% stopped IBD medications. Ulcerative colitis and IBD-unspecified were associated with lower odds of stopping medication compared to Crohn's disease (aOR 0.6).
- 5-aminosalicylic acid was more likely to be continued, while anti-tumour necrosis factor and immunomodulator therapies were more likely to be stopped.
- Demographic and clinical characteristics did not significantly influence prescription patterns.
Conclusions:
- The majority of IBD patients with COVID-19 continued their IBD medications, excluding immunomodulators.
- Further research is necessary to determine the effects of continuing or stopping IBD therapies on both IBD and COVID-19 outcomes.
Background:
We aimed to describe physician practice patterns in holding or continuing IBD therapy in the setting of COVID-19 infection, using the Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease [SECURE-IBD] registry.
Methods:
IBD medications that were stopped due to COVID-19 were recorded in the SECURE-IBD registry in addition to demographic and clinical data. We conducted descriptive analyses to understand characteristics associated with stopping IBD medications in response to active COVID-19 infection.
Results:
Of 1499 patients, IBD medications were stopped in 518 [34.6%] patients. On bivariate and multivariable analyses, a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or IBD-unspecified was associated with a lower odds of stopping medication compared with Crohn's disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48, 0.75). When evaluating specific medications, 5-aminosalicylic acid was more likely to be continued [p <0.001] whereas anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy and immunomodulator therapy were more likely to be stopped [global p <0.001]. Other demographic and clinical characteristics did not affect prescription patterns.
Conclusions:
IBD medications other than immunomodulators were continued in the majority of IBD patients with COVID-19, in the international SECURE-IBD registry. Future studies are needed to understand the impact of stopping or continuing IBD medications on IBD- and COVID-19 related outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:21Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD:
01:24Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF