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In an analysis of data from Phase 3 studies of patients with moderate to severe CD, we found serum concentrations of ustekinumab to be proportional to dose and associate with treatment efficacy. Concentrations of ustekinumab did not seem to be affected by cotreatment with immunomodulators. Clinicaltrials.gov no. NCT01369329 (UNITI 1), NCT01369342 (UNITI 2), and NCT01369355 (IM-UNITI).

Background and Aims Following induction/maintenance treatment in the UNITI/IM-UNITI studies of ustekinumab for Crohn’s disease, patients entered a long-term extension for up to 5 years from induction. Efficacy through 152 and safety through 156 weeks are reported. Methods At IM-UNITI Week 44, 567 ustekinumab-treated patients entered the long-term extension and continued to receive blinded subcutaneous ustekinumab on their assigned dose interval, without any subsequent dose adjustment. Placebo-treated patients discontinued after study unblinding [after IM-UNITI Week 44 analyses]. Efficacy data in the long-term extension [LTE] were collected every 12 weeks [q12w] before unblinding and then at q12w/q8w dosing visits. Results Through Week 156, 29.6% of ustekinumab-treated patients discontinued. In an intent-to-treat analysis of randomised patients from IM-UNITI Weeks 0–152, 38.0% of ustekinumab induction responders receiving the drug q12w and 43.0% q8w were in remission at Week 152. Among patients entering the long-term extension in their original randomised groups, 61.9% of q12w and 69.5% of q8w patients were in remission at Week 152. Across all ustekinumab-treated patients [randomised and non-randomised] entering the long-term extension, remission rates at Week 152 were 56.3% and 55.1% for q12w and q8w, respectively. Safety events [per 100 patient-years] were similar among all ustekinumab-treated patients entering the long-term extension and placebo [overall adverse events 389.70 vs 444.17; serious adverse events, 18.97 vs 19.54; serious infections, 4.21 vs 3.97]. Rates of antibodies to ustekinumab through Week 156 remained low, 4.6% in all randomised ustekinumab-treated patients; lowest among patients in the original randomised q8w group [2/82, 2.4%]. Conclusions Continued treatment with subcutaneous ustekinumab maintained clinical response and remission through 3 years in a majority of patients who responded to induction therapy and was well-tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01369355.

SummaryBackgroundIn Phase 3 studies of ustekinumab, a fully human monoclonal IL‐12/23p40 antibody approved for moderate‐to‐severe Crohn's disease, patients entered a long‐term extension after completing 8 weeks of induction and 44 weeks of maintenance treatment. Efficacy through 92 weeks and safety through 96 weeks of IM‐UNITI maintenance are reported.Methods UNITI‐1 (TNF‐antagonist failures) and UNITI‐2 (conventional therapy failures) patients (N = 1281) entered IM‐UNITI, including 397 ustekinumab intravenous induction responders randomised to subcutaneous ustekinumab 90 mg every 12 weeks, every 8 weeks, or placebo and 884 nonrandomised patients. Dose‐adjustment to 90 mg every 8 weeks occurred in patients randomised to 90 mg every 12 weeks and placebo patients with loss of response (Weeks 8–32). All Week 44 completers could enter the long‐term extension without further dose adjustment. Placebo patients discontinued following study unblinding.ResultsA total of 718 patients (all treated) entered the long‐term extension (298 randomised and 420 not randomised). Overall, 86.5% (621/718) completed Week 96. The proportions of randomised patients in clinical remission were generally maintained from Week 44 through 92 in ustekinumab 90 mg every 12 weeks (77.4% to 72.6%), every 8 weeks (84.1% to 74.4%), and prior dose adjustment groups (63.4% to 53.5%). At Week 92, the proportions of patients in clinical remission were similar in the ustekinumab 90 mg every 12 weeks and every 8 weeks groups and lower in patients with prior dose adjustment. Proportions of patients in clinical remission at Week 92 for all treated every 8 weeks (64.4%) and every 12 weeks (64.3%) groups were lower than randomised every 8 weeks (74.4%) and every 12 weeks (72.6%) groups, but similarly maintained. Safety events (per hundred patient‐years) were similar among all placebo and ustekinumab patients (Week 0‐96), including adverse events (484.39 vs 447.76), serious adverse events (19.24 vs 18.82), and serious infections (4.09 vs 4.02). No dose effect was observed.ConclusionsSubcutaneous ustekinumab maintained clinical response and remission through Week 92. No new safety signals were observed. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01369355.

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