title: Certolizumab pegol: an evidence-based review of its place in the treatment of Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by a relapsing/remitting course with transmural inflammation of potentially any section of the digestive tract. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is a pegylated Fc-free Fab' fragment of a humanized anti-TNF-alfa monoclonal antibody that is in development for clinical use in CD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the available data with CZP in CD, to investigate its possible place in therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Available studies suggest that CZP has the potential to achieve and maintain clinical response and remission in moderate to severe CD, and to improve quality of life compared with placebo. Further studies with CZP are also ongoing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although only suggested by currently available studies, successive clinical practice and further ongoing trials may confirm a positive role for CZP as a new anti-TNF treatment in CD. The impact on clinical management or on resources cannot be estimated until the results from all phase III clinical trials are available and the price is determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Chair of Gastroenterology, "L. Sacco" University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassinotti
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ardizzone
authors.forename: Gabriele Bianchi
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Porro