ArticleCureus2026
Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Effectiveness and Challenges in a Moroccan Tertiary Care Center.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents have transformed the management of moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, primary non-response, secondary loss of response, and access-related barriers remain important challenges, especially in resource-limited settings.
aimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the real-life effectiveness of anti-TNF-α therapy in patients with IBD followed in a Moroccan tertiary gastroenterology department and to describe clinical and access-related challenges associated with treatment outcomes in a resource-limited setting.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective single-center study in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech, from September 2019 to March 2024. Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) who were treated with anti-TNF-α therapy and followed in the department were included. Demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and outcome data were collected from medical records. The analysis was primarily descriptive, and results were expressed as numbers and percentages.
resultsSeventy-nine patients were included. The mean age was 36 years, with a range of 11 to 73 years. Of the 79 patients, 43 (54%) were men and 36 (46%) were women. CD was present in 60 patients (76%) and UC in 19 patients (24%). Among patients with CD, ileocolonic involvement was observed in 31 of 60 patients (51.6%), a stenosing phenotype in 30 of 60 patients (50%), and perianal lesions in 34 of 60 patients (56.6%). Among patients with UC, pancolitis was present in 10 of 19 patients (52.6%). Infliximab was used in 56 of 79 patients (71%), adalimumab in 19 of 79 patients (24%), and golimumab in four of 79 patients (5%). Combination therapy with azathioprine was used in 45 of 79 patients (57%). After a mean follow-up of 30 months, primary non-response occurred in 15 of 79 patients (19%), and secondary loss of response occurred in 18 of 79 patients (22.8%). Management strategies included optimization, intra-class switching, ustekinumab, and surgery in selected cases. Six of 79 patients (7.6%) underwent treatment de-escalation. Treatment was discontinued because of financial constraints in 18 of 79 patients (22.8%), and 6 of 79 patients (7.6%) were lost to follow-up. Perianal lesions, colonic involvement, previous intestinal resection greater than 50 cm, and active smoking were observed among patients with treatment failure or loss of response and were interpreted descriptively.
conclusionAnti-TNF-α therapy showed real-life effectiveness in this tertiary-center cohort despite a high proportion of severe IBD phenotypes. Primary non-response and secondary loss of response remain frequent challenges. Severe disease features and access-related barriers may influence long-term outcomes. Close monitoring, individualized management, reactive therapeutic drug monitoring when available, and improved access to biologics are essential to optimize care in resource-limited settings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.