Partial response or loss of response to golimumab is observed in a significant proportion of patients started on golimumab for active ulcerative colitis. The current dosing regimen in European Union is based on patients' body weight as maintenance treatment for patients with ≥ 80 kg is 100 mg q4 weeks and for patients with <80 kg 50 mg q4 weeks. The investigators recent observations in a golimumab pharmacokinetics study of 24 patients however, show large interindividual variations in golimumab trough concentrations. Furthermore, it seems that patients with continuous response have higher golimumab trough levels at several time points during treatment compared to patients who lose response. Higher induction/maintenance dose of golimumab increases golimumab trough levels, therefore it is likely that higher induction/maintenance dose of golimumab would increase efficacy of golimumab treatment.
Partial response or loss of response to golimumab is observed in a significant proportion of patients started on golimumab for active ulcerative colitis. The current dosing regimen in European Union is based on patients' body weight as maintenance treatment for patients with ≥ 80 kg is 100 mg q4 weeks and for patients with <80 kg 50 mg q4 weeks. The investigators recent observations in a golimumab pharmacokinetics study of 24 patients however, show large interindividual variations in golimumab trough concentrations. Furthermore, it seems that patients with continuous response have higher golimumab trough levels at several time points during treatment compared to patients who lose response. Higher induction/maintenance dose of golimumab increases golimumab trough levels, therefore it is likely that higher induction/maintenance dose of golimumab would increase efficacy of golimumab treatment.