UCB's Cimzia effective in treatment refractory CD

Belgian drugmaker UCB says that data from the WELCOME trial presented at the 3rd congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, in Lyon, France, show that Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is effective in Crohn's disease patients who are intolerant, or are no longer responding to Centocor, Schering-Plough and Mitsubishi Tanabe's co-developed tumor necrosis factor alpha blocker Remicade (infliximab). In the 239-patient, Phase IIIb multicenter study, at week six, 61% of patients had achieved the primary endpoint of response, defined as a decrease in Crohn's Disease Activity Index score of greater than or equal to 100 points from baseline. In addition, 39% were in remission, defined as a CDAI score of less than or equal to 150 points.