CERTOLIZUMAB PEGOL IN CROHN'S DISEASE REFRACTORY TO INFLIXIMAB AND ADALIMUMAB

Introduction: The appearance of biological agents during the last few years has become a therapeutic alternative for those patients with Crohn disease that do not respond to traditional therapies. Certolizumab is a new anti-TNF drug that has been recently approved by the FDA for such an indication. Clinical Case: We describe the case of a patient diagnosed with Crohn's compassionate use treatment with certolizumab, who was refractory to previous treatments with infliximab and adalimumab. Results: After 14 months of treatment with certolizumab, we observed a significant symptom improvement, ascertained from both the clinical and analytical point of view and confirmed by the CDAI (Crohn Disease Activity Index) questionnaire. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, we present the hypothesis of certolizumab's long-term therapeutic effect. However, we conclude that there is a need for performing studies with a larger number of patients.