Medications for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have changed dramatically over time. However, no study on long-term medication profiles has been conducted in the Chinese population.
To evaluate temporal changes in medication use and treatment patterns for Chinese patients with IBD.
A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among Chinese patients newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) between January 1999 and December 2019. Baseline characteristics and drug prescriptions were collected. Trends in medication use and therapeutic patterns were analyzed.
In total, 3610 patients were analyzed. During follow-up, 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASA) and corticosteroids (CS) prescriptions gradually decreased, accompanied by a notable increase in immunosuppressants (IMS) and infliximab (IFX) prescriptions in patients with CD. Prescription rates of 5-ASA and CS were stable, whereas IMS and IFX slightly increased since 2007 in patients with UC. Subgroup (
Long-term treatment strategies analyses has provided unique insight into the switch from conventional drugs to IFX in Chinese patients with CD.