Proactively monitoring serum drug levels and antidrug antibodies in patients undergoing infliximab maintenance therapy leads to better outcomes, new research suggests.

The findings, published in JAMA, suggest that therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) — which involves individually tailoring biologic therapy to maximise drug efficacy and safety — could be preferable to standard care in those with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Researchers behind the Norwegian Drug Monitoring (NOR-DRUM) B study say the approach significantly improves patients’ chances of achieving sustained disease control.

In the randomised, parallel-group trial, the team examined data from 454 adults (mean age 45) with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or psoriasis undergoing maintenance therapy with infliximab.