Strategies in maintenance for patients receiving long-term therapy (SIMPLE): A study of MMX mesalamine for the long-term maintenance of quiescent ulcerative colitis*

Abstract

MMX mesalamine 2.4 g/day QD is effective for maintaining quiescence in patients with UC. Furthermore, adherence to prescribed treatment yielded lower rates of clinical recurrence. Continued education regarding the importance of long-term 5-aminosalicylic acid therapy is warranted.

Update on the management of ulcerative colitis: treatment and maintenance approaches focused on MMX® mesalamine

“…Maintenance of remission rates of 61%–68% at 12 months with oral mesalamine has been reported 25,26. A meta-analysis by Ford et al reported that 42% of prescribed patients relapsed compared with 65% of patients taking placebo after 6 to 12 months of therapy 20.…”

“…Several randomized placebo-controlled trials have investigated the safety and efficacy of MMX mesalamine compared to placebo 25,26,39,55–59. The efficacy of MMX mesalamine in inducing remission in active UC was demonstrated in two randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials39,55 (Table 2).…”

“…The efficacy of MMX mesalamine as maintenance therapy in UC has been assessed in two 12-month, randomized, double-blind25 or open-label,59 multicenter Phase III trials and a 12-month noncomparative, multicenter Phase IV trial26 (Table 3). The efficacy of MMX mesalamine was shown in a trial in which patients in clinical and endoscopic remission (after being treated with MMX mesalamine) were randomly assigned to MMX mesalamine 1.2 g twice daily or 2.4 g every day 59.…”

“…A study comparing Lialda 2.4 g daily and Asacol 2.4 g daily found no significant difference between the two drugs in maintaining clinical remission (68% and 65.9%, respectively) 25. Kane et al showed that MMX mesalamine 2.4 g/day, maintained disease quiescence in 76.5% of patients at 6 months (primary endpoint) and 64.4% at 12 months 26. As a secondary analysis, clinical recurrence was observed in 20.6% of patients who were ≥80% adherent and 36.1% of patients with <80% adherence ( P = 0.05).…”

Update on idiopathic colitides

“…Kane et al [14] showed that mesalamine MMX at a dose of 2.4 g/day is effective for maintaining quiescence (no rectal bleeding) in ulcerative colitis patients.…”