Short-term efficacy of vedolizumab in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in real-life settings in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nermin Salkić; Mirela Bašić Denjagić; Nađa Zubčević; Renata Tamburić; Azra Husić Selimović; Emil Babić; Milenko Bevanda; Aida Saray; Predrag Jovanović; Zoran Tošić; Aleksandar Dobrovoljski; Tatjana Barać

doi:10.17305/bb.2024.10433

Authors

Nermin Salkić Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine Tuzla, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4727-9267
Mirela Bašić Denjagić Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9485-4901
Nađa Zubčević Clinic of Gastroenterohepatology, University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0009-1279
Renata Tamburić Clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8362-3850
Azra Husić Selimović Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital “Abdulah Nakaš” Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0229-6688
Emil Babić Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Hospital of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7271-4980
Milenko Bevanda Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Hospital of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Aida Saray Clinic of Gastroenterohepatology, University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5436-2424
Predrag Jovanović Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine Tuzla, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5547-5159
Zoran Tošić Department of Gastroenterology, Health Center Brčko, Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Aleksandar Dobrovoljski Clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tatjana Barać Clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17305/bb.2024.10433

Keywords:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), vedolizumab, Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), real-world efficacy

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), necessitates effective management strategies. This study aims to evaluate the real-world efficacy of vedolizumab, a newer biological therapy, in treating IBD in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A retrospective observational study was conducted across 6 medical centers, involving 139 IBD patients, 76 with UC and 63 with CD. Patients were assessed for clinical remission and other outcomes at the 26-week mark post vedolizumab treatment initiation. At 26 weeks, clinical remission was achieved in 82.9% of UC patients and 85.7% of CD patients. Mucosal healing was observed in 38.1% of CD patients. The efficacy of vedolizumab did not significantly differ based on prior anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) exposure. Notably, the clinical scoring tools for predicting vedolizumab response showed limited applicability in this cohort. Vedolizumab demonstrated high efficacy in treating both UC and CD in a real-world settings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, underscoring its potential as a significant therapeutic option in IBD management.