Efficacy and safety of adalimumab in Crohn's disease: meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in inducing and maintaining remission of Crohn's disease.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched. Placebo-controlled trials of adalimumab used in patients with Crohn's disease were included. Data were analyzed with Review Manager 4.2.

Results: Four studies enrolling 1402 patients were confirmed as meeting our criteria. Remission rates of inducing and maintaining remission in patients with Crohn's disease were higher for adalimumab than placebo (P<0.05). Adalimumab significantly improves the quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease. No significant difference in total adverse events was found in maintaining remission. Moreover, there were significantly less serious adverse events from taking adalimumab than from taking the placebo in long-term treatment. Patients with increased baseline C-reactive protein may benefit more from adalimumab therapy than those without.

Conclusions: Adalimumab is effective and safe in Crohn's disease. However, studies of a larger number of patients are still required for better assessing the safety profile of adalimumab.