Advances in pharmacotherapy for ulcerative colitis: a focus on JAK1 inhibitors

Treatment of Antibiotic Refractory Chronic Pouchitis With JAK Inhibitors and S1P Receptor Modulators: An ECCO CONFER Multicentre Case Series

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Data regarding the effectiveness and safety of Janus kinase [JAK] inhibitors and sphingosine-1-phosphate [S1P] receptor modulators in antibiotic refractory chronic pouchitis [CARP] are lacking.

METHODS

This ECCO-CONFER project retrospectively collected data for JAK inhibitor or S1P receptor modulator treatments for CARP with at least 3 months of follow-up. The outcomes included corticosteroid- and antibiotic-free clinical response and remission at 3 and 12 months, and trends in modified pouchitis disease activity index [mPDAI], endoscopic PDAI, C-reactive protein, and calprotectin.

RESULTS

Seventeen treatments in 15 patients were evaluated. Previous pouchitis treatments included infliximab [5/15], adalimumab [4/15], vedolizumab [9/15], and ustekinumab [5/15]. Pooling data on JAK inhibitors [eight tofacitinib, one filgotinib, and six upadacitinib] after 3 months [T3], steroid- and antibiotic-free clinical response was achieved in 53.3% [8/15], and steroid- and antibiotic-free clinical remission was achieved in 40% [6/15]. Of the patients with at least 12 months of follow-up, steroid- and antibiotic-free clinical response was achieved in 50% [3/6] and remission in one patient [16.7%], endoscopic response in 50% [3/6], and endoscopic remission in 50% [3/6]. Of the two ozanimod treatments at T3, steroid- and antibiotic-free clinical response was achieved in one patient, without remission; both discontinued ozanimod before T12. No side effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Small molecules may represent a suitable option for CARP refractory to multiple biologics, deserving further investigation.

Upadacitinib for refractory ulcerative colitis with primary nonresponse to infliximab and vedolizumab: A case report

BACKGROUND

Many patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) do not respond well to, or tolerate conventional and biological therapies. There is currently no consensus on the treatment of refractory UC. Studies have demonstrated that the selective Janus kinase 1 inhibitor upadacitinib, a small-molecule drug, is effective and safe for treating UC. However, no studies have revealed that upadacitinib is effective in treating refractory UC with primary nonresponse to infliximab and vedolizumab.

CASE SUMMARY

We report the case of a 44-year-old male patient with a chief complaint of bloody diarrhoea with mucus and pus, in addition to dizziness. The patient had recurrent disease after receiving mesalazine, prednisone, azathioprine, infliximab and vedolizumab over four years. Based on the endoscopic findings and pathological biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with refractory UC. In particular, the patient showed primary nonresponse to infliximab and vedolizumab. Based on the patient's history and recurrent disease, we decided to administer upadacitinib. During hospitalisation, the patient was received upadacitinib under our guidance. Eight weeks after the initiation of upadacitinib treatment, the patient's symptoms and endoscopic findings improved significantly. No notable adverse reactions have been reported to date.

CONCLUSION

Our case report suggests that upadacitinib may represent a valuable strategy for treating refractory UC with primary nonresponse.

The role of filgotinib in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

Filgotinib is an oral small molecule that selectively inhibits JAK1. It is already approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). Ongoing studies are evaluating the efficacy and safety of filgotinib in Crohn's disease (CD). The purpose of this review is to summarize the available data regarding filgotinib in the management of UC and CD. We used Pubmed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov websites to search all available data and currently ongoing studies regarding the efficacy and safety of filgotinib in inflammatory bowel diseases. Filgotinib is an effective and safe drug for the management of biologic-naive and biologic-experienced patients with moderate-to-severe UC. The same efficacy results have not been achieved in CD.

Clinical and Endoscopic Outcomes After Upadacitinib Induction for Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

In this retrospective cohort study, upadacitinib induction was effective in achieving steroid-free clinical remission of ulcerative colitis for the majority of patients. Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were rare and were consistent with the known safety profile of upadacitinib.