Treatment to target in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. What is the evidence?

<b>Background:</b> Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic, progressive diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Current therapy has not been able to change the long-term course of the disease, but treatment to a specific therapeutic target could be a game-changer. <b>Objectives:</b> To assess the evidence of a treat to target (T2T) algorithm being superior to clinical management in the treatment of IBD, a systematic review of the literature is conducted. <b>Search methods:</b> A comprehensive survey of PubMed and Embase covering the period April 2018 to July 2019 including articles referenced in relevant studies. <b>Selection criteria:</b> Both randomized clinical trials (RCT) and observational studies were included. To be eligible for inclusion, the studies had to describe or analyze the effects of T2T on remission and/or recurrence of disease in patients with IBD. <b>Main results:</b> Twenty-two studies were included in this review, seven RCTs, eight comparative and seven non-comparative observational studies. Large heterogeneity between T2T algorithms applied, type of IBD investigated and outcomes evaluated characterized the studies. <b>Authors’ conclusions:</b> The comprehensive search identified only 22 heterogeneous studies. Out of these, a total of 14 indicated a positive effect of a T2T algorithm. Out of the seven RCT studies, four indicated a positive effect. Thus, T2T algorithms may be superior to the clinical management of IBD. However, the evidence is sparse and inconsistent.