Change in Biologic Class Promotes Endoscopic Remission Following Endoscopic Postoperative Crohn's Disease Recurrence

Assess the outcomes of various therapeutic regimens to treat initial endoscopic postoperative recurrence despite biologic prophylaxis.

Postoperative biologic prophylaxis reduces postoperative Crohn's disease (CD) recurrence rates. Optimal treatment strategies for endoscopic recurrence have not been elucidated.

Retrospective cohort study of adult CD patients who underwent ileocolonic resection between 2009 and 2020. Patients with endoscopic postoperative recurrence despite prophylactic biologic therapy and ≥1 subsequent colonoscopy were included. Treatment changes after recurrence were categorized as (1) therapy optimization or continuation or (2) new biologic class. The primary outcome was composite endoscopic or surgical recurrence at the time of or prior to subsequent follow-up colonoscopy.

Eighty-one CD patients with endoscopic recurrence (54.3% i2b, 22.2% i3, and 23.5% i4) despite biologic prophylaxis (86.4% anti-tumor necrosis factor, 8.6% vedolizumab, 4.9% ustekinumab) were included. Most patients received therapy optimization or continuation (76.3%, n=61) following recurrence compared to being started on a new biologic class. Sixty patients (N=48 therapy optimization; N=12 new biologic class) experienced composite recurrence (78.3% endoscopic, 21.7% surgical). On multivariable modeling, initiation of a new biologic class was associated with reduced risk for composite recurrence compared to therapy optimization or continuation (aOR: 0.26; P =0.04). Additionally, initiation of a new biologic class was associated with endoscopic improvement when adjusting for endoscopic severity at the time of recurrence (aOR: 3.4; P =0.05). On sensitivity analysis, a new biologic class was associated or trended with improved rates of endoscopic healing and composite recurrence when directly compared to therapy optimization or continuation.

In patients with CD who experience endoscopic recurrence despite biologic prophylaxis, changing the mechanism of biologic action may promote endoscopic improvement.