Accelerated Infliximab Effective for Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis

Cyclosporine and infliximab are each proven effective for patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Infliximab is often used as first-line treatment because it has fewer adverse effects and is easier to administer than cyclosporine. However, blood concentrations of infliximab tend to be lower in patients with acute severe UC than in those with non-severe UC because of more-rapid drug clearance.

To determine the effectiveness of accelerated infliximab induction in acute severe UC, investigators retrospectively examined 50 affected patients who received either standard induction (5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, and 6) or accelerated induction, in which the second and third doses were given early for recurrence of symptoms or elevation of infl…