Benjamin Click, MD: Comparing Treatments for Elderly Crohn's Disease Patients

Both ustekinumab and vedolizumab are safe and efficacious for elderly patients with Crohn’s disease.

In data presented at the 2021 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Virtual Meeting, a team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic compared the 2 common inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatments specifically in the elderly population.

In the retrospective analysis, the researchers examined 78 patients treated at a large, tertiary referral center. Overall, the patients treated with ustekinumab had significantly more colonic, ileocolonic, penetrating disease, and were more often identified as moderate severity (87.2%) compared to the vedolizumab cohort (51.3% moderate, 25.6% severe) (P = 0.001).

The ustekinumab arm of the trial also had significantly more prior biologic use (94.9% vs. 65.8%, P <0.001). However, there was no difference in concurrent steroid use between the 2 groups.

Some of the efficacy results including significant and complete clinical response in 6.2% and 28.2% of the ustekinumab patients compared to 23.1% and 46.2% of the vedolizumab group, respectively (P = 0.12) and steroid-free remission was achieved in 30% and 35.3% % of the ustekinumab and vedolizumab group (P = 0.08).

In an interview with HCPLive®, Benjamin H. Click, MD, Cleveland Clinic, explained how the results were positive for both treatments and how the study should shape treatment plans moving forward.