What types of pediatric Crohns patients were included in the REACH study?
A total of 112 pediatric patients (ages 6-17 years) with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease participated in the REACH study. In order to participate in this study, patients were required to have uncontrolled disease despite taking an immunosuppressant (e.g., azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or methotrexate). How was REMICADE evaluated in the REACH study? All study participants received REMICADE 5 mg/kg at the start of the study (Week 0), followed by doses 2 and 6 weeks later. Patients who showed symptom improvement, or “response,” were then randomized to two groups and received REMICADE every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks for almost 1 year. The goal of the study was to measure the following effects of REMICADE treatment: • Symptom improvement, or “response” • Periods of no symptoms or very few symptoms, or “remission” • Elimination of steroids Results from the REACH study: • Response: 88% of patients showed improvement in symptoms by Week 10. At the end of the year-long study (Week 54), 6 o
