Crohn's Disease — IDeaL Pilot Study - Infliximab Dose to Level: Pilot Study
Citation(s)
Arias, MT, Vande, CN, Drobne, D et al Importance of trough levels and antibodies on the long-term efficacy of infliximab therapy in ulcerative colitis. Journal of Crohn's and Colitis 2012; 6: s5.
Maser EA, Villela R, Silverberg MS, Greenberg GR Association of trough serum infliximab to clinical outcome after scheduled maintenance treatment for Crohn's disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006 Oct;4(10):1248-54. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
Nanda KS, Cheifetz AS, Moss AC Impact of antibodies to infliximab on clinical outcomes and serum infliximab levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): a meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2013 Jan;108(1):40-7; quiz 48. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2012.363. Epub 2012 Nov 13. Review.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
