Mapping the Evolution of IBD Treatment: A Bibliometric Study on Biologics and Small Molecules

Objectives: To investigate recent research trends in biologics and small molecules for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a bibliometric analysis was conducted on literature from the past decade. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved a bibliometric analysis of data retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database to examine the evolution and thematic trends on biological agents and small molecular drugs for IBD conducted between January 1, 2014, and September 20, 2024. A total of 6,337 articles were analyzed for specific attributes, including publication year, journal, country/region, institution, author, references, and keywords. VOSviewer software was utilized to perform co-authorship, co-occurrence, co-citation, and network visualization analyses, and further discussions were conducted on significant sub-themes.Results: From 2014 to September 20, 2024, the annual number of global publications increased by 23%, from 442 to 544. The journal "Inflammatory Bowel Diseases" published the highest number of manuscripts (579 publications) and garnered the most citations (13,632 citations), followed by the "Journal of Crohn's & Colitis" (480 publications) and "Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics" (250 publications). The United States emerged as the leading country in terms of productivity (1,943 publications, 66,320 citations), with the University of California, San Diego (291 publications, 23,017 citations) and the author Sandborn, Vermeire, Severine (180 publications, 10,383 citations) being the most prolific institution and author, respectively. The co-occurrence cluster analysis of the top 100 keywords resulted in the formation of six distinct clusters: (1) Disease, (2) Drug, (3) Surgery, (4) Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, (5) Mechanism Research, and (6) Others. Recent keywords such as biologics, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, Janus kinase inhibitor, therapeutic drug monitoring, trough level, and pharmacodynamics highlight the emerging frontiers in IBD research. We have synthesized information on biologics and small molecules approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and regulatory bodies in China, focusing on therapeutic targets and the immunological mechanisms underlying these diseases. Further discussions are provided to aid researchers in identifying potential research subjects and directions. Conclusions: This study elucidates current trends, patterns of global collaboration, foundational knowledge, research hotspots, and emerging frontiers in the field of biologics and small molecules for IBD treatment. Current research hotspots include the management of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and safety, as well as investigations into monotherapy or switch therapy.