Is There a Role for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Anti-TNF Monoclonal Antibodies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

In recent years it has become clear that therapeutic drug monitoring can be an important tool to optimize outcome and costs of anti TNF treatment including the subcutaneous and fully human monoclonal antibodies. There is a clear dose response curve between early serum concentrations of all monoclonal antibodies and response both short term and long term. The wide variations in early serum concentrations are insufficiently explained by classic pharmacokinetic factors. Low early concentrations can lead to anti-drug antibody formation and ensuing loss of response. Therapeutic drug monitoring allows to rationalize the current practice of dose optimization and the use of concomitant immunomodulator treatment. However more prospective studies are needed before strong recommendations can enter treatment guidelines.