A comparative evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of ciclosporin versus infliximab for acute severe ulcerative colitis was reported recently. 270 patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis that failed to respond to intravenous hydrocortisone within 5 days were randomly allocated to receive infliximab or ciclosporin. No statistically significant differences between groups were noted for quality-adjusted survival, frequency of colectomy, mean time to colectomy, or number of serious adverse events.