Celltrion announced that its autoimmune disease therapy Zympentra—the U.S. brand name for the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of Remsima (active ingredient: infliximab)—demonstrated significant therapeutic effects regardless of the location of intestinal inflammation. It has generally been understood that inflammation occurring in the small intestine responds less effectively to treatment.
According to Celltrion on the 26th, the research findings were published in the international journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Impact Factor 12.2).
The results are based on a post-hoc analysis of the LIBERTY-CD clinical trial conducted in patients with Crohn’s disease. LIBERTY-CD evaluated the efficacy and safety of Zympentra over up to 102 weeks in 343 Crohn’s disease patients.
The paper analyzed treatment responses by location—based on colonoscopy findings—both by organ (such as small intestine and colon) and by specific intestinal segments (including terminal ileum, left colon, transverse colon, right colon, and rectum).
Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, is categorized by inflammation site into types such as small-intestine-dominant and colon-dominant. Among these, the small-intestine type is relatively more difficult to diagnose and is more commonly associated with complications such as perforation and strictures, leading to differences in symptoms and disease progression. Academic experts have also noted that therapeutic responses to drug treatments may vary by inflammatory site.
In this post-hoc analysis, patients who received one year of maintenance treatment with infliximab SC showed significant therapeutic improvements compared with placebo, regardless of inflammation site. Consistent treatment effects were observed across all inflammatory regions—from the small intestine and terminal ileum to the colon and rectum. Analysts view these findings as distinguishing Zympentra from existing Crohn’s disease therapies, which often show varying efficacy by intestinal region.
A Celltrion official stated, “These post-hoc results suggest that Zympentra may overcome the limitations of existing therapies by delivering consistent efficacy regardless of inflammation site.”
