Abstract

Vedolizumab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases

Author(s): Reena Khanna & Brian G Feagan

Although multiple therapies for IBD currently exist, a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to conventional agents and important safety concerns have emerged regarding the use of broad-spectrum immunosuppression. Given these limitations, development of more specific, gut-targeted therapy is an attractive approach. Vedolizumab specifically blocks trafficking to the gut of a small proportion of circulating T-lymphocytes to prevent the chronic inflammatory response observed in IBD. Several large-scale clinical trials support the efficacy of vedolizumab for the treatment of IBD, and have led to regulatory approval of this agent. However, multiple questions remain regarding the use of vedolizumab in clinical practice. This article will explore several of these issues.