Efficacy and Safety of Second-Line Advanced Therapy After Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Cohort...

Vedolizumab has become the preferred first-line advanced therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the optimal second-line treatment following vedolizumab failure remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of second-line therapies after first-line vedolizumab.

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including UC patients from 31 centers who received infliximab (IFX), subcutaneous (SC) anti-TNFs, or ustekinumab after vedolizumab failure. The primary endpoint was steroid-free clinical remission (SFCR) at week 14. Predictors of remission were identified using multivariate logistic regression.

Among 196 patients, 99 received IFX, 27 anti-TNF SC, and 70 ustekinumab. At week 14, SFCR was achieved in 78 patients (39.8%): 38 (38.4%) with IFX, 8 (29.6%) with anti-TNF SC, and 32 (45.7%) with ustekinumab, with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.32). Median treatment persistence ranged from 8 to 9.2 months. Baseline corticosteroid use was associated with lower odds of SFCR (OR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.18-0.73]). Adverse events occurred in 15.8% of patients, including 12.2% serious events. Overall adverse events were less frequent with ustekinumab than with IFX (10.0% vs. 24.2%, p = 0.02), while serious events were comparable (5.7% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.08). Discontinuation due to adverse events was more frequent with IFX (12.1%) and anti-TNF SC (14.8%) than with ustekinumab (2.9%, p = 0.045 and 0.049).

In UC patients failing vedolizumab, second-line IFX, anti-TNF SC, and ustekinumab showed similar effectiveness and persistence. Infliximab remains a robust option for rapid control in high inflammatory burden, whereas ustekinumab may be preferred for its superior safety profile in high-risk patients.