Biologic Therapy Options for Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory intestinal disease of unknown etiology. In addition to conventional drugs such as 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASA), corticosteroids, and immune-modulating drugs, biologics targeting inflammation- and immunerelated molecules have been developed for treating CD. Initially, anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibodies were used for induction and maintenance therapies, and the clinical course of affected patients was dramatically changed because of their efficacy and safety. More recently, novel humanized biologics targeting the p40-subunit of interleukin (IL)-12/23 and α4β7-integrin have been developed, and shown to contribute to longterm therapy for CD. Although the efficacy of biologics for CD is widely recognized, how to determine which biologic is appropriate for individual patients remains largely unknown and additional studies are necessary to clarify this issue.