Newly Published Study Evaluates Abbott's Humira in Crohn's Disease

Patients with active Crohn's disease who have ceased responding to Remicade may respond to Humira, according to a new study in the January 2005 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The study found that 11 of 13 (85 percent) of Crohn's patients who had experienced a reduced or loss of response to Remicade (infliximab) -- currently the only FDA-approved biologic treatment for Crohn's disease -- experienced a reduction in disease activity with Humira (adalimumab).

Crohn's disease is a serious chronic and inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract that affects approximately 500,000 Americans and is typically diagnosed before age 30. Common symptoms of the disease include diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever and in some cases rectal bleeding. There is no cure for Crohn's disease.