INITIative launches first in a series of workshops

The workshop, titled ‘Infliximab therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical practice’, featured interactive discussion of clinical case studies with two visiting world experts in the field. Prof Joao Goncalves, Principal Investigator at iMed, The Research Institute for Medicines at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, presented data on the current assays available for measuring infliximab levels, from laboratory assays to point-of-care testing.

Following this, Prof Fernando Magro, Professor in Gastroenterology at Hospital de Sao Joao, Porto, Portugal, presented results from a range of studies, many led by Prof Magro, outlining the clinical evidence for therapeutic drug monitoring of biologics in gastroenterology. He also discussed latest evidence in the hotly-debated area of proactive versus reactive testing and monitoring.

The workshop, chaired by the Network’s Chair Prof Glen Doherty, also featured the launch of the 2017 annual report of INITIative.

“2017 was the second full year of operation for the INITIative Network and marked the launch of several key studies, including our first multi-centre, investigator-initiated clinical trial. The Network also conducted the first of a number of patient focus groups on research, helping to define the priority areas for future research from the perspective of patients with Crohn’s and Colitis,” said Dr Doherty.

Prof Magro, praising the success of INITIative to date, said its presence would “assist greatly in putting IBD research from Ireland on the map in Europe and throughout the world”.

INITIative was founded in 2015 in order to foster collaboration and encourage multi-centre, investigator-initiated studies in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Ireland. See www.initiativeibd.ie for more information.