CD and limitations of current treatments

CD is an IBD causing chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal, or GI, tract with a relapsing and remitting course. The prevalence estimates for CD in North America range from 44 cases to 201 cases per 100,000 persons. In Europe, prevalence varies from 37.5 cases to 238 cases per 100,000 persons, according to a January 2014 GlobalData PharmaPoint report. The disease is slightly more common in women, with a peak incidence at the age of 20 to 40 years. The cause of CD is unknown; however, it is believed that the disease may result from an abnormal response by the body’s immune system to normal intestinal bacteria.

The disease is characterized by inflammation that may affect any part of the GI tract from mouth to anus, but most commonly the distal small intestine and proximal colon, causing a wide variety of symptoms including anemia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. The characteristic inflammatory response of CD is focal transmural inflammation, frequently associated with granuloma formation, which may evolve to progressive damage over time.

Treatment of CD will depend on severity of the disease. The main goal of treatment is to stop the inflammation in the intestine, prevent flare-ups and keep patients’ disease in remission. While mild to moderate symptoms may respond to an antidiarrheal medicine, antibiotics, and other medicines to control inflammation, severe symptoms are often treated with anti-TNF agents. Anti-TNF agents, however, do not work for all patients, and, in patients who do find therapeutic benefit, they can lose their effect over time resulting in relapse. Anti-TNF agents have also demonstrated side effects arising from long term suppression of the immune system including increased rate of infections. Unlike in RA, few biologics have been approved in CD and, as such, caregivers have a more limited number of available treatments.

The market for CD therapies, across the 10 main healthcare markets, was approximately $3.2 billion in 2012 and is estimated to exceed $4.1 billion in 2022, according to a January 2014 GlobalData PharmaPoint report, driven primarily by use of anti-TNF agents. The primary existing products are shown in the table below.