Patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease have found quick relief from abdominal pain and stool frequency during the first week of induction therapy according to data analysis published in Healio.
The impressive clinical response and remission were significantly higher beginning at week two and continuing through week 12 and week 52.
Two Induction trials, U-EXCEED and U-EXCEL administered Rinvoq (upadacitinib 45 mg) once daily showing significantly higher efficacy when compared to placebo. The safety profile was unchanged from prior reports written by Professor Jean-Frédéric Colombel at Mount Sinai’s Medical School for Clinical Hepatology and Gastroenterology.
A post-hoc analysis was conducted using the U-EXCEED and U-EXCEL trials together with a maintenance study entitled U-ENDURE. Comparing the three trials of patients receiving 45 mg Rinvoq, it was clear that the number of clinical remissions far exceeded those of the placebo cohorts.
Professor Colombel expressed his opinion that Crohn’s disease patients would receive benefits from a therapy that provided rapid improvement and resolution to their symptoms without needing continued corticosteroid therapy.
Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease which can impact any area of the digestive tract. The cause of the illness is not well understood, but a combination of environmental, genetic, bacterial, and immune system factors could play a role; smoking tobacco appears to increase risk. The disease is often identified in the teen years or early adulthood. While abnormal immune system behavior is also present, it is not considered an autoimmune disease. Symptoms include weight loss, abdominal distension, bowel obstruction, diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, and inflammation spreading to other areas (eyes, joints, etc.). Patients are at an elevated risk of cancer impacting the digestive tract. Treatment includes changes to diet, stopping smoking, steroids, immunosuppressants, and certain surgical operations. Symptoms tend to relapse and remit, and some patients are able to live mostly normal lives. However, there is no cure for Crohn’s disease and treatment must continue for life. Patients have a slightly reduced life expectancy. To learn more about Crohn’s disease, click here.
