Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: The newer 5-ASA preparations were intended to avoid the adverse effects of SASP while maintaining its therapeutic benefits. The efficacy and safety of 5-ASA preparations have been evaluated in numerous clinical trials that have often lacked sufficient statistical power to arrive at definitive conclusions. Previously, it was found that newer 5-ASA drugs in doses of at least 2g/day, were more effective than placebo but no more effective than SASP in inducing remission in ulcerative colitis.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: The newer 5-ASA preparations were intended to avoid the adverse effects of SASP while maintaining its therapeutic benefits. The efficacy and safety of 5-ASA preparations have been evaluated in numerous clinical trials that have often lacked sufficient statistical power to arrive at definitive conclusions. Previously, it was found that newer 5-ASA drugs were more effective than placebo but no more effective than SASP in inducing remission in ulcerative colitis.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy, dose-responsiveness and safety of the newer release formulations of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) compared to placebo or sulfasalazine (SASP) in the maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Search Strategy: A computer-assisted literature search for relevant studies (1981-1998) was performed using MEDLINE, BIOS, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Trials Register, and Science Citation Index, followed by a manual search of reference lists from previously retrieved articles, review articles, symposia proceedings, and abstracts from major gastrointestinal conferences.

Selection Criteria: Studies were accepted for analysis if they were prospective, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo- or SASP-controlled clinical trials of parallel design with treatment duration of at least six months.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for inducing remission in ulcerative colitis.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy, dose-responsiveness and safety of the newer release formulations of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) compared to placebo or sulfasalazine (SASP) for the induction of remission in active ulcerative colitis.

Search Strategy: A computer-assisted literature search for relevant studies (1981-1998) was performed using MEDLINE, BIOS, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and the Science Citation Index, followed by a manual search of reference lists from previously retrieved articles, review articles, symposia proceedings, and abstracts from major gastrointestinal conferences.

Selection Criteria: Studies were accepted for analysis if they were randomized, double-blinded, and controlled clinical trials of parallel design, with treatment durations of a minimum of four weeks.