Efficacy and safety of biologic agents and tofacitinib in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: A systematic overview of meta-analyses

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disease of the colon and rectum. Treatment options include biologics and tofacitinib.

We aim to summarize the evidence on efficacy and safety of biologics and tofacitinib in moderate-to-severe UC.

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials assessing adalimumab, golimumab, infliximab, vedolizumab, and tofacitinib in UC. Efficacy outcomes included induction and maintenance of clinical response, clinical remission and mucosal healing. Safety outcomes included adverse events and serious adverse events.

The overview involved 31 meta-analyses. All four biologics and tofacitinib were superior to placebo regarding efficacy. Indirect comparisons suggested that infliximab may be better than adalimumab and golimumab to induce clinical response and mucosal healing. Safety analyses indicated no increased rates of adverse events, except for infliximab.

Biologics and tofacitinib are efficacious and safe for treating UC. These findings can support clinical decision-making.