Safety issues relating to biological therapies, with special reference to infliximab therapy

Abstract

The only licensed biological therapy for inflammatory bowel disease is infliximab, a potent antitumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibody. This drug is highly effective in treating acute intestinal disease, fistulating disease (especially anorectal), and in maintaining remission in the short-to-medium term. Given the experience of use of infliximab for approximately 2 years in over 100,000 patients, it is now timely to review the medium-term benefits, and side effects, of treatment. Acute infusions can be associated with an allergic reaction. Development of human anti-chimeric antibodies is associated with acute infusion reactions, delayed type hypersensitivity reactions, and altered drug phar..