Saturday 4 June 2022 11:22 PM Ulcerative colitis can be eliminated in just three months thanks to daily tablet trends now
Patients with severe bowel disease could benefit from a new drug that can eliminate their distressing symptoms within just three months.
Once-a-day tablet etrasimod treats the condition ulcerative colitis by binding to immune cells and preventing them from mistakenly attacking healthy tissue in the lining of the gut.
In a recent trial, 27 per cent of sufferers who had failed to respond to any other treatment were found to be in remission after just 12 weeks, and 32 per cent were symptom-free after a year.
Ulcerative colitis can be debilitating, causing bloody diarrhoea, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.
It can also trigger symptoms such an abdominal pain and digestive discomfort – similar to the more common problem irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Once-a-day tablet etrasimod treats the condition ulcerative colitis by binding to immune cells and preventing them from mistakenly attacking healthy tissue in the lining of the gut
Dr Sami Hoque, a gastroenterologist at Barts Health NHS Trust in London who ran the UK arm of the etrasimod trial, described its results as 'astonishing'.
He added: 'When I started treating ulcerative colitis, there were very few options available, and what we did have caused severe side effects. The advantage of etrasimod is that it is very selective, able to target unruly inflammatory cells without affecting the immune system as a whole.
It's a significant addition to existing treatments for bowel disease and, unlike other therapies which involve injections, it comes as a once-daily tablet. This puts the power in the hands of patients, meaning they can avoid regular visits to hospital.'
Ulcerative colitis is a long-term disorder that occurs when, for reasons not fully understood, the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks healthy body tissue in the lining of the large bowel or colon, causing inflammation and ulcers. It is one of two major types of inflammatory bowel disease, alongside Crohn's disease.
The condition affects roughly 146,000 people in the UK, but experts suggest many more could be undiagnosed and that as many as one in ten over-50s may have some form of the disease.
Patients can go for months without symptoms before being struck by a flare-up. During these episodes, some patients also experience sore joints, mouth ulcers and irritated red eyes. In the most severe cases, they may also suffer shortness of breath, palpitations and a fever.
If doctors suspect colitis
