12 Nov Early Use of Advanced Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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Early Use of Advanced Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
OS0020
Overview
Background
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic immune-mediated disorders characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The most common forms are Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
- Treatment aims to reduce symptoms, achieve and maintain remission, and prevent complications. Medications used to manage CD and UC include anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants (conventional therapy), as well as biologic and biosimilar therapies and targeted small molecule drugs (advanced therapy). Treatment pathways depend on the disease course and response to previous therapy.
- In Canada, most provincial and territorial drug plans require patients to demonstrate an inadequate response or intolerance to conventional therapy before qualifying for advanced therapy coverage. There is growing pressure and advocacy from patients and clinicians to initiate advanced therapy earlier for moderate-to-severe IBD.
Objectives
- This project is a collaboration with INESSS.
- This overall aim is to describe the treatment patterns and pathways to initiation of advanced therapy among patients with UC and CD among 8 provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick).