Effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in bio-naïve Crohn’s disease patients: a multicentre observational retrospective study

Background: Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab in Crohn’s disease (CD). However, more data are necessary on the effectiveness of ustekinumab in bio-naïve patients in real-life studies. Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in patients with CD refractory or intolerant to conventional therapy and without previous exposure to biological drugs. Design: We performed a nationwide, observational, retrospective, multicentre study including patients with CD, in which ustekinumab was used as the first biological drug. Methods: The corticosteroid-free clinical and biological response and remission were analysed at weeks 16, 24, 52 and 72. Clinical remission was defined as Harvey–Bradshaw index ⩽ 4 and biological remission as a faecal calprotectin (FC)