Patients afflicted with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis and treated with infliximab had their colectomy rate cut by more than a third during the first year of treatment, compared with control patients. This finding was disclosed by a review of more than 600 patients enrolled in two pivotal studies.

“These are unique data that show we can alter the natural history of the disease,” according to Dr. Brian G. Feagan at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

From Internalmedicinenews.com:

“It seems like infliximab may alter the natural course of UC by reducing the need for colectomy,” commented Dr. Miguel D. Regueiro, codirector of the inflammatory bowel disease center at the University of Pittsburgh. Physicians and patients will need to decide whether the risks and complications of colectomy are high or low compared with biologic therapy, and whether quality of life is better with colectomy or biologic therapy, he said.

UC patients “in remission with their colon have a better quality of life” than patients who undergo colectomy, commented Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at the University of Chicago. “Chronically sick patients benefit from cholectomy, but the goal of treatment is to get patients in remission and off steroids. Biologic treatments can do this,” he said in an interview.

The new analysis used data collected in the Active Ulcerative Colitis Trials 1 and 2 (ACT 1 and ACT 2), which together compared two dosages of infliximab (either 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) with placebo in two different protocols that treated patients for as long as 54 weeks. The primary finding was that patients treated with either dosage were more likely than placebo patients to have a clinical response after 8, 30, and 54 weeks of treatment (N. Engl. J. Med. 2005;353:2462–76). This led to Food and Drug Administration approval of infliximab (Remicade) for treating moderately to severely active UC.

The ACT 1 and 2 studies were sponsored by Centocor Inc. that markets infliximab in the United States and Schering-Plough that markets infliximab in all other countries.

Tags:  infliximab, Steroids, Ulcerative Colitis

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Patients suffering from chronic disease ulcerative colitis that can limit life to few social functions and trips away from home can finally expect some respite after a promising new therapy was pioneered by University of Kentucky gastroenterology specialists.

Ulcerative colitis brings inflammation and ulcers in the colon leading to frequent toilet trips and abdominal pain. Some of the currently available options of treatment are steroids, surgery, or anti-inflammatory drugs.

From Sciencedaily.com:

One of the study participants is Robert Lewandowski, of Hager Hill in Johnson County. Lewandowski was diagnosed with the disease a decade ago and saw the retirement plans he and his wife made slipping away as he became more and more reluctant to leave home.

“The first thing you do is when you think about going somewhere, you have to think about where the bathroom is and how quickly you can get to it,” Lewandowski said. “Eventually, you stop going and doing things because it’s too much of a problem.”

Lewandowski’s disease went into remission after a few years, then reappeared, sending him to the bathroom 20 or more times a day. Therapies he used in the past didn’t work, so his physician referred him to the clinical study at UK. He saw an improvement almost immediately, and a year later, he is able to lead a normal life, with no symptoms of the disease. “I’m happy,” he said.

Willem J.S. deVilliers, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the UK Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, remarked that this findign can be described as a welcome addition to the treatment options.

Tags:  Steroids, surgery, Ulcerative Colitis

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Patients suffering from Ulcerative Colitis (UV) can expect significant relief with hypnotherapy coming into the picture.

It was remarked by Keefer, who is director of the Center for Psychosocial Research in Intestinal Bowel Disease at Northwestern’s Feinberg School, that hypnotherapy may be effective for offering relief to these patients by helping them in stress management and developing a sense of control over their health.

From Sciencedaily.com:

“The preliminary results on the improved quality of life for the 27 subjects in this ongoing study (aiming for a total of 80 subjects) look positive so far,” Keefer said.

Once the eight weeks of hypnotherapy are completed, subjects are expected to listen to the relaxation tapes or practice relaxation twice a week to maintain the benefits. They are also encouraged to “step up their practice” of relaxation tapes if they think they are at risk for a flare, Keefer said.

Currently the treatment for the disease is a maintenance medication called 5-ASA. “The problem is most people forget to take the full dose,” Keefer said. If that doesn’t work steroids are often the next treatment, but long-term use can cause joint problems and other side effects such as anxiety and insomnia. When doctors try to taper the patient off steroids, symptoms tend to flare again.

The findings were presented by Keefer at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s 13th Annual Medical Symposium and 14th Annual Patient and Family Conference in Chicago.

Tags:  Hypnotherapy, Steroids, Ulcerative Colitis

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