Category Archives: Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease refers to a miserable set of symptoms that dont usually get discussed in polite company. IBD is one of the common sources of stomach distressand it can be responsible for abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and bloody stool, fatigue, and weight loss. The most common sources of IBD are Crohns Disease and ulcerative colitis, and cases are on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now a recent study suggests that rural livingespecially during the first five years of a childs lifeprovides significant protection from these conditions. Lead study author Eric I. Benchimol MD, PhD, and colleagues relied on health data collected during surveys of virtually all residents of the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. In 2011, the provinces had a combined population of more than 19 million peopleand 45,567 of them had either Crohns Disease or ulcerative colitis. Taras Mikhailyuk/shutterstock Once Dr. Benchimol divided the groups into rural versus urban, he found that the incidence of IBD for country folk was 30.72 per 100,000; in cities, the rate was 33.16 per 100,000. In addition, rural patients were diagnosed at an older age than urban patients. The study, which was conducted … Continue reading →

STOCKHOLM, August 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InDex Pharmaceuticals Holding AB (publ) today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan-drug designation for the drug candidate cobitolimod for treatment of ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients. "We are pleased that the FDA has granted orphan-drug designation for cobitolimod for treatment of ulcerative colitis in children, which may provide seven years of market exclusivity in this indication on the US market," said Peter Zerhouni, CEO of InDex Pharmaceuticals. "The decision shows the medical need for new therapeutic options for this patient population and gives InDex additional opportunities to interact with the FDA." Cobitolimod in brief Cobitolimod is a new type of drug that can help patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis back to a normal life. It is a so-called Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, that can provide an anti-inflammatory effect locally in the large intestine, which may induce mucosal healing and relief of the clinical symptoms in ulcerative colitis. Cobitolimod has achieved clinical proof-of-concept in moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis, with a very favorable safety profile. Data from four placebo-controlled clinical trials indicate that cobitolimod has statistically significant effects on those endpoints that are most relevant … Continue reading →

When your gut is playing with games with you, it's easy to blame it on stress or something you ate. But if you're plagued with bathroom issues all the timeespecially diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bleedingit may be a sign of a more serious bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis, or UC for short, is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the innermost lining of your large intestine (i.e. colon) and rectum. It can come with debilitating symptoms and even lead to life-threatening complications, so getting to a doctor when you're experiencing symptoms is key. IBD is characterized by chronic inflammation in your digestive tractnot to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a chronic condition that affects contractions of the muscles in your large intestine. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two main types of IBD that share some of the same symptoms, but one main difference is where the disease occurs: Crohn's disease causes ulceration throughout your digestive tract, while UC is mostly contained to the colon and rectum. Ulcerative colitis can start gradually and become worse over time and, like most diseases, cases can range from mild … Continue reading →

"We are pleased that the FDA has granted orphan-drug designation for cobitolimod for treatment of ulcerative colitis in children, which may provide seven years of market exclusivity in this indication on the US market," said Peter Zerhouni, CEO of InDex Pharmaceuticals. "The decision shows the medical need for new therapeutic options for this patient population and gives InDex additional opportunities to interact with the FDA." Cobitolimod in brief Cobitolimod is a new type of drug that can help patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis back to a normal life. It is a so-called Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, that can provide an anti-inflammatory effect locally in the large intestine, which may induce mucosal healing and relief of the clinical symptoms in ulcerative colitis. Cobitolimod has achieved clinical proof-of-concept in moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis, with a very favorable safety profile. Data from four placebo-controlled clinical trials indicate that cobitolimod has statistically significant effects on those endpoints that are most relevant in this disease, both from a regulatory and clinical perspective. These endpoints include the key clinical symptoms such as blood in stool, number of stools, and mucosal healing, respectively. Cobitolimod is also known as Kappaproct and DIMS0150. InDex … Continue reading →

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Clinical Convergence conference series entitled Patient and Provider Perspectives in IBD, is expanding with three new cities added in 2017. The series, a partnership between the Crohns & Colitis Foundation (the Foundation) and RMEI Medical Education (RMEI) is a continuing education initiative for clinicians who treat patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and the patients they care for. This innovative mix of educational courses brings communities of healthcare providers and IBD patients together, for improved care and outcomes. Following the success of the 2016 series, there will be three new metro areas in 2017 and all locations now include a special workshop on shared decision-making for patient attendees. Gastroenterologists and gastroenterology advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants), will engage in interactive CME sessions, while patients participate in parallel education tracks tailored to their needs. The two groups will then converge into a single session for a structured discussion on best practices for IBD patient care and shared decision-making. The patient-provider relationship, particularly in chronic conditions like IBD, is critical that patients have a more active and participatory role in the ongoing dialogue with providers, said Laura Wingate, Senior Vice President of Education, Support & Advocacy … Continue reading →

Takeda has closed the book on its first inflammatory bowel disease awareness graphic novel. In the end, the Unbeatables superhero team prevailednot only over the evil trillionaire trying to take over the world, but also over IBD. The wrap-up of the first IBD Unmasked comic book, which launchedlast July,incorporated the power of IBD sufferers in theirfinal battle against the enemy. It turns out that the villain Technonaut couldn't control the Unbeatables because of their awesome willpower. The everyday superheroes who felt weak or embarrassed in real life because of their IBDs were the only ones with the personal strength to combine forces and defeat Technonaut. The insights in the graphic novel'sfinal chapters include a story line about sibling jealousy over the attention one superhero brother with Crohns disease receives, along with the positive effects of sharing IBD community experiences online. The project featured characters with a variety of IBDs, including Crohns and ulcerative colitis. Takeda worked with Marvel Comics on the custom series, which was written by Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza. The company created a panel of IBDsufferers to help develop the content, and the final chapters include new patient insights. A spokesman said that while the graphic novel is … Continue reading →

Under normal circumstances, our immune system does its job of protecting the body from infection. However, in people who suffer from a condition called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the immune system mistakes food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign substances by attacking the cells of the intestines. During the time the immune system is attacking the cells, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines where they produce chronic inflammation leading to a cascade of various symptoms. IBDs are complex, multifactorial disorders in which the body loses its tolerance to its gut microorganisms. It is estimated 1.4 million people in the United States have IBD. The peak age of onset is 15 to 30 years, although IBD can occur at any age. The two most common IBDs are Crohns disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both are conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. They do share many similarities, yet they also have key differences between them. Similarities between Crohn disease and Ulcerative Colitis Both involve a loss of tolerance to intestinal bacteria. They often develop in teenagers and young adults. The causes of each are not known, but both have … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Ulcerative Colitis Therapeutics Pipeline Analysis, 2017" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease, which basically affects colonic mucosa. The main identified symptoms of the disease are bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fatigue. Some of the other symptoms include, fever, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal distension and bloating. The leading cause of ulcerative colitis is the imbalance in regulation of gastrointestinal immune system. According to the International Society for Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research journal named as value in health, the prevalence of ulcerative colitis has increased from 243 to 263 per 100,000 people each year in the U.S. Ulcerative colitis usually affects the upper layer of all parts of intestine mostly in colon and rectum. The main causes of the disease are genetic susceptibility and environmental factors such as, microbiological, smoking, immunological and psychological factors. The treatment of ulcerative colitis includes tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, such as adalimumab, golimumab and infliximab which were approved for treatment of moderate to severe form of ulcerative colitis in patients who have failed to respond to the other conventional therapies such as, corticosteroids, mesalazine and 5-Aminosalicylic acid. The 5-Aminosalicylic acid is currently used as the first … Continue reading →

Pfizer gets the thumbs up in psoriatic arthritis from the experts Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has been working on its JAK3 inhibitor tofacitinib in the areas of inflammatory disease for years, having first achieved approval in rheumatoid arthritis in 2012. Now it turns its focus toward expanding the indications for this agent. First up is psoriatic arthritis, a form of arthritis that differs in presentation from rheumatoid arthritis and that has fewer treatment options. After submission to the FDA, PFE faced a meeting with the Arthritis Advisory Committee to discuss the pros and cons of tofacitinib in this disease. Now, the two entities have met, and PFE came out with flying colors. The panel voted almost unanimously to recommend tofacitinib for approval, with only one panel member giving the thumbs down. This lone dissenter was the patient advocate, who was concerned about insufficient evidence to state the tofacitinib improved radiographic progression. Looking forward: This should all but cinch the approval for tofacitinib, giving PFE another notch for the agent. It is also exploring the use of this agent in other inflammatory condition, and it's got a submission to the FDA for ulcerative colitis. But psoriatic arthritis will be first up, and the … Continue reading →

Rangers' Hamels throws four-hitter, defeats Twins 4-1 MINNEAPOLIS -- Longtime Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish is with the Los Angeles Dodgers now, and Texas is reportedly pushing back left-hander Martin Perez's next start as it sorts through its rotation. The Rangers still have Cole Hamels every fifth game, though. Hamels allowed four hits in his first complete game since Oct. 4, 2015, and Nomar Mazara homered for Texas in a 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. A night after 44-year-old Bartolo Colon threw an improbable complete game for Minnesota, Hamels finished off his 16th career complete game by retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced and tallying 96 pitches. "It's all about getting in a rhythm, and if I'm able to kind of start that rhythm, then obviously all the better," Hamels said. "But I think there's a lot of guys on this pitching staff that are very talented and obviously have ace-caliber stuff. So it's just kinda waking everybody back up." Hamels (6-1) yielded one unearned run. He struck out five batters and walked one in shutting down the Twins' offense. Entering the game, he owned a 6.35 ERA in six starts against Minnesota, the … Continue reading →