Effects of Adalimumab Therapy on Incidence of Hospitalization and Surgery in Crohn's Disease: Results From the CHARM Study

Background & Aims

We determined the effects of adalimumab maintenance treatment on the risks of hospitalization and surgery in Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods

A total of 778 patients with CD were randomized to placebo, adalimumab 40 mg every other week or adalimumab 40 mg weekly, all after an 80-mg/40-mg adalimumab induction regimen. All-cause and CD-related hospitalizations and major CD-related surgeries were compared between the placebo and adalimumab groups (every other week, weekly, and both combined) using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Both 3- and 12-month hospitalization risks were significantly lower for patients who received adalimumab. Hazard ratios for all-cause hospitalization were 0.45, 0.36, and 0.40 for the adalimumab every other week, weekly, and combined groups, respectively (all P < .01 vs placebo). Hazard ratios for CD-related hospitalization were 0.50, 0.34, and 0.42, respectively (all P < .05). Cox model estimates demonstrated adalimumab every other week and weekly maintenance therapies were associated with 52% and 60% relative reductions in 12-month, all-cause hospitalization risk, and 48% and 64% reductions in 12-month risk of CD-related hospitalization. The combined adalimumab group was associated with 56% reductions in both all-cause and CD-related hospitalization risks. Fewer CD-related surgeries occurred in the adalimumab every other week, weekly, and combined groups compared with placebo (0.4, 0.8, and 0.6 vs 3.8 per 100 patients; all P < .05).

Conclusions

Patients with moderate-to-severe CD treated with adalimumab had lower 1-year risks of hospitalization and surgery than placebo patients.

Abbreviations used in this paper: CHARM, Crohn's Trial of the Fully Human Antibody Adalimumab for Remission Maintenance, CI, confidence interval, HR, hazard ratio, SAE, serious adverse event