A total of 100 patients were included (64 with CD and 36 patients with UC). In CD patients according to Montreal Classification: A2 71.9%, L2 42.2%, B1 60.9%, and perineal disease 43.8%. In UC: E1 36.1% and S2 47.2%.
 
At the beginning of the study, 78% of patients were in remission. At 12, 18 and 24 months, 69.6%, 69.9% and 68.5% of them were still in remission, respectively (p = 0.038). A total of 22% of the patients (16 CD and 6 UC), needed to have their dose increased during the 2 years of follow up. After the dose increase, 60% were in remission. 72% remained on CT-P13 during the 2 years of follow up. A total of 28% discontinued therapy due to a loss of response (15%), adverse events (AEs) (4%) or clinical remission (8%).

In the CD group, the median duration of ongoing originator infliximab treatment at the beginning of the study was 70 months (43–85) and 79.7% of patients were in remission. At 2-years follow up, 25% of patients discontinued CT-P13 (15.6% loss of response, 4.7% clinical remission, 3.1% AEs and 1.6% other medical indication). From the patients who continued using CT-P13 after the switch, 67.7%, 67.7% and 65.6% were in remission at 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively (p = 0.027). The HB index did not show significant changes over 24 months; the median HB index (95% CI) was: 1 (1–3), 2 (1–4), 1 (1–2) and 1 (1–2) at baseline, 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively (p = 0.128)

In the UC group, the median duration of ongoing originator infliximab treatment at the beginning of the study was 50 (22–75) months and 75% of patients were in remission. At 2-years follow up, 33.33% of patients discontinued CT-P13 (13.9% loss of response, 13.9% remission evidenced by mucosal healing and 5.6% AEs). From the patients who continued using CT-P13 after the switch, 74.2%, 74.2% and 74.2% were in remission at 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively (p = 0.948). The median (95% CI) of the PMS decreased significantly during the 24 months of follow up (p⩽0.001): 2 (1–3), 2 (1–2), 1 (0–1) and 1 (0–1) at baseline, 12, 18 and 24 months respectively.

C-reactive protein and infliximab drug levels did not show significant changes. Two patients developed low levels of anti-drug antibodies. AEs were reported in 14% of patients: 1 skin reaction, 1 asthenia, 2 headaches, 2 paresthesias during infusion, 1 Sweet’s syndrome, 1 polyarthralgia, 1 vaginal infection, 1 Herpes simplex infection, 1 candida infection, 1 psoriasis case, and 2 palpitations cases.

The present data indicate a statistically significant global loss of remission at the 2-year follow up (10%). These values are consistent with the ones in the literature since the incidence of loss of response varies between 10%–20% in clinical trial and 13%–30% in clinical practice. The annual risk of loss of response was suggested to be 13%–15% patients/year. However, the loss of response cannot be attributed to the medication alone. A total of 30.7% of the patients in this study had low infliximab levels during the follow up, and that could explain this loss of response.

The study has some limitations. First, the heterogeneous sample with a median time of previous treatment of 58 months. Other limitations were that faecal calprotectin and infliximab levels were not measured (the latter during the first year after the switch).

The authors concluded that ‘most of the patients switching from original infliximab were maintained on CT-P13 at 2 years of follow up with a good profile of efficacy and safety’.

Conflict of interest
The authors of the research paper [1] reported conflict of interest, including participation in advisory boards and having received financial support from Kern Pharma to attend scientific meetings. For full details of the authors’ conflict of interest, see the research paper [1].

Abstracted by Drs María Belvis Jiménez and María Fernanda Guerra Veloz, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain.

Editor’s comment
Readers interested to learn more about switching to rituximab biosimilars are invited to visit www.gabi-journal.net to view the following manuscripts published in GaBI Journal:

Randomized non-inferiority trial fails to find inferiority switching from infliximab originator to CT-P13 biosimilar

Switching from the infliximab reference product to CT-P13 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis: results of the PLANETAS and PLANETRA extension studies

GaBI Journal is indexed in Embase, Scopus, Emerging Sources Citation Index and more. 

Readers interested in contributing a research or perspective paper to GaBI Journal – an independent, peer reviewed academic journal – please send us your submission here.

Related articles
Real-world data confirms safety of infliximab biosimilar CT-P13

Biosimilars of rituximab

Reference
1. Guerra Veloz MF, Belvis Jiménez M, Valdes Delgado T, et al. Long-term follow up after switching from original infliximab to an infliximab biosimilar: real-world data. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2019;12:1756284819858052.

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and non-commercial use only. All other reproduction, copy or reprinting of all or part of any ‘Content’ found on this website is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of the publisher. Contact the publisher to obtain permission before redistributing.

Copyright – Unless otherwise stated all contents of this website are © 2019 Pro Pharma Communications International. All Rights Reserved.