Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41030293›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic advances in gastroenterology2025

Single and multiple switches, swap and retransitioning among 28,073 biological drug users with inflammatory bowel diseases: results from the Italian VALORE network.

Giorgia Pellegrini, Andrea Spini, Chiara Bellitto, Luca L'Abbate, Ylenia Ingrasciotta, Federica Soardo, Olivia Leoni, Arianna Mazzone, Domenica Ancona, Paolo Stella and 30 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

40 authors.

Giorgia PellegriniDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Andrea SpiniDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Chiara BellittoDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Luca L'AbbateDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Ylenia IngrasciottaDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Federica SoardoDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Olivia LeoniLombardy Regional Epidemiologic Observatory, Milan, Italy.
Arianna MazzoneAzienda Regionale per l'Innovazione e gli Acquisti, S.p.A, Milan, Italy.
Domenica AnconaCentro Regionale Farmacovigilanza Regione Puglia, Bari, Italy.
Paolo StellaCentro Regionale Farmacovigilanza Regione Puglia, Bari, Italy.
Anna CavazzanaAzienda Zero, Regione Veneto, Italy.
Angela ScapinAzienda Zero, Regione Veneto, Italy.
Sara LopesDepartment of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
Valeria BelleudiDepartment of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
Stefano LeddaRegione Autonoma della Sardegna, Cagliari, Italy.
Paolo CartaRegione Autonoma della Sardegna, Cagliari, Italy.
Paola RossiFriuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Center of Pharmacovigilance, Trieste, Italy.
Lucian EjlliFriuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Center of Pharmacovigilance, Trieste, Italy.
Ester SapigniEmilia-Romagna Regional Center of Pharmacovigilance, Bologna, Italy.
Aurora PucciniEmilia-Romagna Regional Center of Pharmacovigilance, Bologna, Italy.
Rita Francesca ScarpelliDipartimento Salute e Welfare, Calabria region, Catanzaro, Italy.
Giovambattista De SarroUniversity "Magna Graciae" of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
Marco TuccoriDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Rosa GiniAgenzia Regionale di Sanità Toscana, Florence, Italy.
Alessandra AllottaEpidemiologic Observatory of the Sicily Regional Health Service, Palermo, Italy.
Sebastiano Addario PollinaEpidemiologic Observatory of the Sicily Regional Health Service, Palermo, Italy.
Roberto Da CasItalian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Giampaolo BucaneveUmbria Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, Perugia, Italy.
Antea Maria Pia ManganoAgenzia regionale sanitaria della regione Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Francesco BalducciUfficio Monitoraggio Spesa Farmaci e Dispositivi Medici, Regione Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy.
Carla SorrentinoRegional Pharmaceutical Unit, Abruzzo Region, Pescara, Italy.
Ilenia SenesiAbruzzo Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, Teramo, Italy.
Francesca Futura BernardiCoordination of the Regional Health System, General Directorate for Health Protection, Naples, Italy.
Ugo TramaCoordination of the Regional Health System, General Directorate for Health Protection, Naples, Italy.
Stefania Spila AlegianiItalian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Flavia MayerItalian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Marco MassariItalian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Edoardo Vincenzo SavarinoDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3187-2894
Angela VariolaCentro Malattie Rettointestinali IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy.
Gianluca TrifiròDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P. le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1147-7296

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The increasing availability of biological drugs (originators and biosimilars) in the last decade for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has led to complex switching patterns in real-world settings. Objectives: To describe the switching/swapping patterns of biological drugs in IBD patients in Italy over the last decade. Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative data from 14 Italian regions (2010-2023) in the VALORE distributed database network. Methods: Patients with at least 1 year of look-back and follow-up, who initiated biological therapy with ⩾2 dispensations for IBD, were included. Switches, swaps (between biologic classes), multiple switches (⩾2), switch-backs, and re-transitioning (biosimilar to originator) were described. Predictors of multiple switches at 3 years were identified through COX regression analysis. Results: Among 28,073 first-ever users (55.8% Crohn's disease and 44.2% ulcerative colitis), most started with adalimumab (45.3%) or infliximab (39.6%). The F/M ratio was 0.79, with a median age of 41.0 years (IQR: 27.0-54.0). At 1, 3, and 5 years, switch/swap rates were 12.0%, 35.6%, and 52.6%, respectively, while multiple switches occurred in 18.7% at 5 years. Re-transitioning from biosimilar to originator occurred in 10% of patients who initially switched from originator to biosimilar of the same molecule. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors switched more frequently and more rapidly than ustekinumab or vedolizumab. Depression and corticosteroid use were identified as predictors of multiple switches at 3 years of follow-up. Conclusion: About half of first-ever users of biological drugs who were treated because of IBDs switched or swapped within 5 years from treatment start. TNF-α drugs were more likely to switch or swap. They also swapped or switched more rapidly than vedolizumab and ustekinumab. Notably, 1 out of 5 had changed biologic therapy more than once at 5 years and, among those who switched to a biosimilar, 1 out of 10 re-transitioned to the originator.

Indexed as

biologicsbiosimilarsreal-world evidence

Identifiers

PMID41030293
PMCPMC12477396

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.