Ulcerative colitis: responding to the challenges.

Aminosalicylates are the first-line therapy for patients with mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis. Treatment should start at dosages of 4.8 g per day of the active 5-aminosalicylate moiety, rather than starting at a lower dosage and increasing if treatment fails. Infliximab has been shown to be effective and is now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.