Intestinal Inflammation: Conventional Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

The current therapeutic options for inflammatory bowel disease encompass conventional agents (5-ASA derivatives, corticosteroids, immunomodulators—thiopurines and metothrexate, calcineurin inhibitors, and antibiotics) and newly designed biologics and small molecules. Therapeutic approach for every IBD patient should be strictly personalized. In regard to the use of conventional drugs during the course of IBD, the therapeutic regimens are combined and sequential. Specific combination of conventional drugs does not represent the adequate therapeutic regimen in variable disease extent and in all phases of disease activity, during the biologic course of the disease in an individual patient. However, conventional drugs and their combinations represent the mainstay of therapy for the IBD patients, especially ulcerative colitis, with mild to moderate disease. In this text, we present basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction mechanisms of conventional anti-inflammatory drugs.