Infliximab: A Review of its use in the Treatment of Pediatric Crohn’s Disease

摘要

The past decade has brought great change to the treatment of pediatric Crohn’s disease. The majority of affected patients now receive therapy directed at the underlying immune dysregulation that is associated with this chronic disease. The monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor necrosis factor alpha play an increasing role in such therapy. Infliximab is the prototype of this class of biologic based therapy. This review covers the basic pharmacokinetics of infliximab while reviewing the data on its efficacy in pediatric Crohn’s disease patients. Current issues related to infliximab dosing and safety are also reviewed.