The Food and Drug Administration has approved certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) for treating adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who haven't responded to other therapies. For the first three doses, the drug is given every 2 weeks by injection. Then, once the benefit is clear, it's given once every 4 weeks.
   The most common side effects are headache, upper respiratory infection, abdominal pain, injection site reactions, and nausea.
   Cimzia is a tumor necrosis factor blocker that affects the immune system. Consequently, patients receiving Cimzia have an increased risk for serious adverse effects, including serious or life-threatening infections. The drug also may cause lymphomas and other malignancies.
   Teach patients who receive Cimzia how to recognize infections, and tell them to contact their health care provider if evidence appears. In a serious infection, Cimzia therapy should be stopped immediately. Make sure to give patients the Medication Guide that comes with Cimzia.
   Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects more than 1 million people worldwide. Its cause is unknown, and it has no cure. It can cause diarrhea, fever, rectal bleeding, malnutrition, narrowing of the intestinal lumen, obstructions, abscesses, cramping, abdominal pain, and fistulas.

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