Marla C. Dubinsky, MD: Finding Biomarkers in IBD

Finding suitable biomarkers for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, can be challenging.

But by identifying and targeting biomarkers, clinicians can target earlier interventions and treatments that ultimately could result in better care.

In data presented during the 2021 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting, a team led by Marla C. Dubinsky, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, found patients with the absence of urgency had significantly greater reductions in levels of inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (fCLP) in a cohort of patients treated with mirikizumab.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Dubinsky explained why it is important to target biomarkers for IBD and how it could be beneficial in earlier interventions for this disease.

In the trial, 249 patients were equally randomized to receive intravenous placebo, 50 or 200 mg mirikizumab with exposure-based dose increase possibility or fixed mirikizumab 600 mg every 4 weeks.

The 106 patients who achieved clinical response were then re-randomized into a double-blind maintenance study with either 200 mg mirikizumab subcutaneously every 4 or 12 weeks through 52 weeks.