The current approach to the treatment of Crohn's Disease is based on step care. This strategy is relatively ineffective for the long-term management of patients who require treatment with corticosteroids. Although azathioprine, methotrexate and infliximab are modestly effective in this high-risk population, long-term corticosteroid-free response rates are low. Thus combination therapy is an attractive option to explore. Based on a favourable experience with dual therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and the demonstrated efficacy of methotrexate in corticosteroid-dependent CD, we expect that combination therapy with methotrexate and infliximab will be significantly more effective than infliximab monotherapy. Furthermore combined therapy is likely to be highly effective in preventing formation of the antibodies to infliximab that are an important limitation to the continued successful use of this drug.~This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group, multi-centre study. Subjects who have initiated corticosteroid induction therapy within the preceding 6 weeks will be randomized (irrespective of CDAI defined disease activity) in a 1:1 ratio to either methotrexate or placebo for a period of 50 weeks in combination with infliximab administered for 8 infusions. Randomization will be stratified by:~Treatment with or without Imuran/6-mercaptopurine in the 2-12 months prior to randomization;~Prednisone dose <20 mg or ≥20 mg daily at randomization;~CDAI <150 or ≥150 at randomization.
The primary objective is to compare the efficacy and safety of infliximab plus methotrexate to infliximab alone for the long-term control of signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease (CD) in patients with symptoms that are persistent enough to require corticosteroid therapy.