Is long-term maintenance required after using Ustekinumab?

Ustekinumab is a targeted immunotherapy drug mainly used to treat chronic immune diseases such as moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Since these diseases themselves are characterized by long-term chronic recurrence and difficulty in curing, ustekinumab usually requires maintenance medication during treatment to stabilize the condition and prevent recurrence.

Based on clinical practice and drug instructions, ustekinumab will undergo an initial dose of induction therapy when initiating treatment, and then enter a maintenance phase. Taking psoriasis and Crohn's disease as examples, the induction period is generally one injection every 0 weeks and 4 weeks, followed by one injection every 12 weeks as maintenance treatment. This regular, long-term use helps maintain the stability of the skin or intestinal mucosa and avoids the recurrence of symptoms.

If ustekinumab is stopped midway, patients may experience rebound or relapse of the disease within a few months, or even lead to a more severe inflammatory reaction. Studies have shown that some patients experience a re-exacerbation of their rash or recurrence of intestinal symptoms shortly after stopping the drug, suggesting that long-term maintenance therapy plays a key role in maintaining disease remission. However, some patients can gradually extend the medication interval or reduce the dosage under the guidance of a doctor after their disease is relieved and stabilized.

In general, ustekinumab is a biological agent suitable for long-term maintenance treatment, which can effectively extend the remission period and reduce acute exacerbations. During use, patients should closely cooperate with their doctors to regularly assess their condition and formulate a reasonable maintenance plan. For patients who have reached clinical remission, whether to use it for a long time needs to be comprehensively evaluated based on the individual condition, risk of recurrence, and drug tolerance. It is not recommended to stop the drug without authorization or interrupt treatment.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/donanemab.html