New data showed that Abbott's Humira (adalimumab) provided long-term treatment of fistulas, with more than half of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease experiencing fistula healing at three years, according to clinical research presented at the United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW) congress in Vienna. Data also showed response to Humira in difficult-to-treat patients - those with fistulas who had failed to respond, lost response to, or were intolerant of infliximab.

Fistulas are tunnels that form between the intestine and other parts of the body. They develop in up to one-third of people with Crohn's disease and are considered one of the most disabling complications of the disease. In these studies, fistula healing was defined as the absence of drainage from all fistulas, either spontaneously or with gentle compression.

"Fistulas can affect a patient's lifestyle due to discharge, bleeding and fecal incontinence, and can also lead to invasive surgery," said Jean-Frédéric Colombel, professor, Gastroenterology, Hôpital Huriez, Lille, France. "Treatments that promote fistula healing are important - particularly for difficult-to-treat patients."

"These data presented at UEGW represent the first time we have analyzed results of studies on fistula healing in HUMIRA patients who were primary non-responders to infliximab," said Rebecca Hoffman, divisional vice president, Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abbott. "We are encouraged by these results and will continue to study HUMIRA in patients with Crohn's disease."

Humira is the only fully human monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Crohn's disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the United States and Europe. HUMIRA resembles antibodies normally found in the body.