Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders which often result in significant morbidity or surgery. Current treatment options are not curative and may cause significant adverse effects. The introduction of anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy over a decade ago was a welcome addition to the therapeutic armamentarium and revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite their relative success, a significant proportion of patients with IBD fail to respond or subsequently lose response anti-TNFα therapy. This review identifies and explores the role of drug levels and immunogenicity (antibody formation) on the efficacy of anti-TNFα therapy and details how monitoring these parameters may help to optimize the management of patients with IBD.
Keywords: anti-TNFα; antibodies; inflammatory bowel disease; pharmacokinetics.