3g mesalazine granules are superior to 9mg budesonide for achieving remission in active ulcerative colitis: a double-blind, double-dummy, randomised trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Budesonide may be an effective therapy for mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to demonstrate non-inferiority for oral 9mg budesonide once daily (OD) versus 3g mesalazine granules OD. METHODS: This was an eight-week randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre study in which patients with mild-to-moderately active UC, defined as Clinical Activity Index (CAI) ≥6 and Endoscopic Index (EI) ≥4, received budesonide (Budenofalk® 3mg capsules×3) or mesalazine (Salofalk® 1000mg granules×3). The primary endpoint was clinical remission at week 8 (CAI ≤4 with stool frequency and rectal bleeding subscores of "0"). RESULTS: 343 patients were randomised (177 budesonide, 166 mesalazine). Fewer patients achieved the primary endpoint with budesonide versus mesalazine (70/177 [39.5%] versus 91/166 [54.8%]) with a difference in proportions of -15.3% (95% CI [-25.7%, -4.8%]; p=0.520 for non-inferiority). The median time to first resolution of symptoms was 14.0 days (budesonide) and 11.0 days (mesalazine) (hazard ratio 1.19; 95% CI [0.94, 1.51]). Mucosal healing was observed in 54/177 (30.5%) budesonide patients versus 65/166 (39.2%) mesalazine patients, a difference of -8.6% (95% CI [-18.7%, 1.4%]; p=0.093). The incidences of adverse events (budesonide 26.6%, mesalazine 25.3%) and serious adverse events (budesonide 1.7%, mesalazine 1.2%) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily 3g mesalazine administered as granules is superior to 9mg budesonide OD administered as capsules for achieving remission in mild-to-moderately active UC. However, it is noteworthy that remission of UC was attained in about 40% of budesonide-treated patients with a rapid onset of resolution.

Clinical trial: a novel high-dose 1 g mesalamine suppository (Salofalk) once daily is as efficacious as a 500-mg suppository thrice daily in active ulcerative proctitis.

BACKGROUND: Mesalamine suppositories are first-line therapy in active ulcerative proctitis; the standard regime still recommends multiple doses per day. The primary objective of this study was to show the noninferiority of once-daily administration of a novel 1 g mesalamine suppository versus thrice-daily administration of the 0.5 g mesalamine suppository. METHODS: This was a single-blind (investigator-blinded), randomized, multicenter, comparative, Phase III clinical trial. Patients with mild to moderately active ulcerative proctitis inserted either one mesalamine 1 g suppository at bedtime or one mesalamine 0.5 g suppository thrice daily over a 6-week period. The primary endpoint was rate of remission (Disease Activity Index below 4). RESULTS: In all, 354 patients were evaluable for safety and per-protocol analysis. The new regimen demonstrated noninferiority: The percentage of patients with remission was 87.9% for the once-daily 1 g mesalamine suppository and 90.7% for the thrice-daily 0.5 g mesalamine suppository. Each regimen resulted in prompt cessation of clinical symptoms (e.g., median time to ≤3 stools per day (all without blood): 5 days in the 1 g mesalamine once-daily and 7 days in the 0.5 g mesalamine thrice-daily group). Patients preferred applying suppositories once a day. CONCLUSIONS: In active ulcerative proctitis the once-daily administration of a 1 g mesalamine suppository is as effective and safe, yet considerably more convenient, than the standard thrice-daily administration of a 0.5 g mesalamine suppository.