REMICADE effectively relieves the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease without the side effects of steroids.

Pam's Story

Pam

New Jersey

Age: 26

"I've had Crohn's disease for 5 years, ever since I was 21. I started getting pains in my throat–it turned out to be Crohn's disease in my esophagus. I also thought I had hemorrhoids, but it got progressively worse and it was definitely Crohn's. I actually had it throughout my whole digestive tract, from my esophagus all the way down to my rectum. I had bloody stools and diarrhea. The day I graduated from college I weighed about 140. By the time I received REMICADE®(infliximab), I weighed 103.

"It just kept coming and going. I couldn't function. I lost my job and my apartment. This all happened in the span of just 1 month! After about a year of this, my gastroenterologist and my surgeon both said I should have my rectum removed. I planned on having the surgery, but then I heard of a doctor who was participating in a clinical trial for a new drug.

"In 1996, I got accepted into the clinical trial for REMICADE. I received a series of three infusions at the hospital. Within 2 days I felt much better, and I was up walking. A couple days later, one of my sisters graduated from high school and my parents had a party in the backyard with a tent and a volleyball game, and I was out playing volleyball! My father just couldn't believe it. Two days previously I couldn't even walk! I never thought I would get results that quick.

"Fistula was probably the biggest problem with my disease. That's what kept me from being able to walk. I had a fistula in my rectum going all the way through. After receiving REMICADE, it almost closed. It's still there, but my doctor is aggressively treating me so that it will close and stay closed. I've only taken 5 sick days since receiving REMICADE.

"I got Crohn's at a time in my life when everyone had graduated college, and they were all going out after hours, after their new jobs. All that was taken away from me. I could not even fathom going to a bar, having to wait on line to use the bathroom. I could not drink anymore because of my medication. A lot of my friends just didn't understand what I was going through. I did have a boyfriend, too, but we broke up because I didn't know what was going on with my Crohn's. I had an apartment, but I moved back home with my parents and stayed with them until I got better. I really couldn't even go out because I didn't know if the diarrhea was going to act up. I couldn't drive for a while because I couldn't even sit. Things I just took for granted I couldn't even do.

"Today I can do whatever I want. I just got engaged! My fiance knows that I have Crohn's, and he's cool with it. My job is working out well, and I've had my own place ever since my first dose of REMICADE. Things are going great!"

Pam is representative of patients responding to REMICADE under a physician's supervision. Individual results may vary.

Most people who took REMICADE in a clinical study of 108 patients with moderately to severely active disease experienced significant improvement of Crohn's disease signs and symptoms within 4 weeks (82% for REMICADE vs 16% for placebo). Many patients experienced remission-level control at 4 weeks (48% for REMICADE vs 4% for placebo). Ninety-two percent of patients continued to receive stable doses of other medications. The effect of REMICADE on quality of life was also studied using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ). This is a validated and reliable assessment tool which correlates well with changes in clinical signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease. A majority of patients experienced a significant improvement in median IBDQ score at 4 weeks following a single treatment (54% for REMICADE vs 0% for placebo).

Most people who took REMICADE, in a study of 94 patients with one or more draining fistulas, experienced significant improvement. More than half of their fistulas closed following a three-infusion course of therapy (68% for REMICADE vs 26% for placebo). Many patients experienced complete closure of all fistula(s) following the third infusion (52% for REMICADE vs 7% for placebo). Eighty-three percent of patients continued to receive stable doses of other medications. The median duration of response was 3 months. At 16 weeks post-treatment, 28% of patients treated with REMICADE were responding; this was comparable to placebo.

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There are reports of serious infections, including sepsis and tuberculosis, that may be life-threatening. So, if you are prone to or have a history of infections, currently have one, or develop one while taking REMICADE, tell your doctor right away. Also tell your doctor before beginning treatment if you have had recent close contact with, or if you have had past exposure to people with tuberculosis, or if you have any other reason to believe you may be at risk. There are also reports of serious infusion reactions with hives, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure. If you have a de-myelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis, tell your doctor before you are treated. In rare cases, people with de-myelinating disease who were treated with REMICADE have seen their symptoms intensify. Up to one in four people experienced the following side effects in clinical studies: upper respiratory infections, headache, cough, sinusitis, nausea or mild reactions to the infusion such as rash or itchy skin. (Please see the Full Prescribing Information.)