European evidence based consensus for endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease

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Reliability among central readers in the evaluation of endoscopic findings from patients with Crohn's disease

The Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) and Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) are commonly used to assess Crohn's disease (CD) activity; however, neither instrument has been fully validated. We assessed intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of these indices. Video recordings of colonoscopies obtained from 50 patients with CD who participated in an induction trial of a biological therapy were triplicated and reviewed in random order by four central readers. Data were used to assess intra-rater and inter-rater reliability for CDEIS, SES-CD and a global evaluation of lesion severity (GELS). Subsequently, readers participated in a consensus process that identified common sources of disagreement. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intra-rater reliability for CDEIS, SES-CD and GELS (95% CIs) were 0.89 (0.86 to 0.93), 0.91 (0.89 to 0.95) and 0.81 (0.77 to 0.89), respectively, with standard error of measurement (SEM) of 2.10, 2.42 and 1.15. The corresponding ICCs for inter-rater reliability were 0.71 (0.63 to 0.76), 0.83 (0.75 to 0.88) and 0.62 (0.52 to 0.70), with SEM of 3.42, 3.07 and 1.63, respectively. Correlation between CDEIS and GELS was 0.75, between SES-CD and GELS was 0.74 and between CDEIS and SES-CD was 0.92. The most common sources of disagreement were interpretation of superficial ulceration, definition of disease site at the ileocolonic anastomosis, assessment of anorectal lesions and grading severity of stenosis. Central reading of CDEIS and SES-CD had 'substantial' to 'almost perfect' intra-rater and inter-rater reliability; however, the responsiveness of these instruments is yet to be determined. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT0146637

Use of biosimilars in inflammatory bowel disease: Statements of the Italian Group for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The introduction of biological therapies, particularly anti-TNF\u3b1 agents, has revolutionized the management of inflammatory bowel disease in those cases which are refractory to conventional treatment; however these drugs are not risk-free and their use has substantially increased the cost of treatment. As marketing protection expires for original, first-generation biopharmaceuticals, lower-cost "copies" of these drugs produced by competitor companies-referred to as biosimilars-are already entering the market. In September 2013, the European Medicines Agency approved two infliximab biosimilars for treatment of adult and paediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients, a decision based largely on efficacy and safety data generated in studies of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. For many clinicians, extrapolation practices and the general question of interchangeability between biosimilars and reference biologics are cause for concern. In the present paper, the Italian Group for inflammatory bowel disease presents its statements on these issues, with emphasis on the peculiar clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease and the importance of providing physicians and patients with adequate information and guarantees on the safety and efficacy of these new drugs in the specific setting of inflammatory bowel disease

3rd European evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease 2016: Part 2: Surgical management and special situations

This paper is the second in a series of two publications relating to the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease [CD] and concerns the surgical management of CD as well as special situations including management of perianal CD and extraintestinal manifestations. Diagnostic approaches and medical management of CD of this ECCO Consensus are covered in the first paper [Gomollon et al. JCC 2016]