Biologics in inflammatory bowel diseases

Background In addition to conventional anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there has been an evolution of new treatment options over the past 20 years. Already approved biologics provide multiple treatment alternatives but also make the treatment algorithms more complex. This development results in a substantial improvement in patient care. The ambitious treatment targets are associated with a higher quality of life and the reduction of long-term disability and morbidity. Objective The aim of this article is to give an overview of how biologics can currently be implemented in IBD. In particular, the current clinical management is presented and an outlook on future treatment options with biologics for IBD is provided. Material and methods A search was carried out in PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and the current German and European guidelines and expert recommendations were evaluated. Results Since the late 1990s there have been a continuously increasing number of treatment options for IBD. All substances have proven safety and efficacy in large randomized clinical studies and enable increasingly more individualized treatment for patients with IBD. Biologics are currently the standard treatment of choice for moderate to severe inflammatory activity as well as for steroid-refractory or steroid-dependent courses of disease after failure of conventional treatment. Conclusion The diversity of IBD treatment offers increasing treatment options and thus improved patient care; however, as the number of new substances increases treatment becomes more complex. This article summarizes the current and future treatment options for IBD and their integration into current treatment algorithms.