What happens when you treat your condition, but the medication isn’t effective? Sometimes, other approved medications are beneficial for patient use, but other times, there are no approved medications. For example, for those with ulcerative colitis (UC) in the United Kingdom who did not respond to treatment, there were limited options…until now. According to Barrhead News, the Scottish Medicines Consortium recently approved Jyseleca for use by the NHS for patients with UC whose prior treatments did not work. Scotland is now the first country in the UK where Jyseleca is approved for NHS use. Since a large amount of individuals in Scotland have ulcerative colitis – an estimated 20,000 people – this approval brings a new therapeutic option to those in need.
About Jyseleca
According to the European Medicines Association (EMA), Jyseleca is an orally administered therapy which is approved to treat both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ulcerative colitis. The EMA explains that:
Filgotinib, the active substance in Jyseleca, reduces the activity of the immune system…by blocking the action of enzymes known as Janus kinases (JAKs). These enzymes play an important role in inflammatory processes.
What is Ulcerative Colitis (UC)?
Ulcerative colitis exists under the umbrella of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This chronic inflammatory condition causes sores and ulcers to form in the large intestine. Altogether, the cause of ulcerative colitis is thought to be a combination of abnormal immune responses, genetics, and environmental factors. Those of Jewish heritage, those with a family history of ulcerative colitis, and those in their mid-30s or over 60 are most at risk of developing ulcerative colitis. In some individuals, symptoms develop over time. For others, symptom onset is rapid. These symptoms can be debilitating, although the impact is variable from patient to patient.
When symptoms appear, these can include:
- Diarrhea, which may appear with blood or pus
- Unintended weight loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Anemia (low red blood cell count)
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Bloody stool
- Rectal pain
- Rash
- Fever
- Failure to thrive or failure to grow (in children)