Biological agents may play an important role in maintaining remission in Crohn’s disease, according to two new studies in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. “Post-surgical recurrence of Crohn’s disease occurs very frequently. Unfortunately, none of the traditional drugs used to treat the naturally occurring disease has really shown a clear-cut benefit in this situation,” said Dario R. Sorrentino, MD, of the University of Udine School of Medicine, Italy, and lead author of one of the studies…

NICE has announced that it has recommended two treatments (infliximab and adalimumab) for people with severe Crohn’s disease. The guidance approves use of the drugs for people who have not responded to, who are intolerant of, or are unable to take more commonly used therapies to treat the condition. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of unknown cause affecting the gastrointestinal tract (gut). It is estimated that around 60,000 people in the UK have the disease, with approximately 3,000 (5%) having the most severe forms of the condition…

Studies and analyses of the Crohn’s Disease (CD) treatment Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) demonstrating new data will be exhibited at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2010, taking place in New Orleans from May 1-5, 2010. “Cimzia data at this year’s DDW provide important and positive clinical insights, namely, that Cimzia offers long-term efficacy in multiple patient populations,” said Cem Kayhan, MD, Associate Medical Director at UCB. “This body of research will help clinicians understand the lasting benefits of Cimzia when treating Crohn’s Disease patients…

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis do perceive a benefit from thiopurine treatment. A report in the open access journal BMC Gastroenterology has demonstrated improved health-related quality of life in 92 IBD patients. Guillermo Bastida worked with a team of researchers from La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain, to investigate the controversial thiopurine treatment. He said, “The efficacy of thiopurines in the scenarios in which they are prescribed, either to induce or to maintain remission in IBD, is well proven…

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis do perceive a benefit from thiopurine treatment. A report in the open access journal BMC Gastroenterology has demonstrated improved health-related quality of life in 92 IBD patients. Guillermo Bastida worked with a team of researchers from La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain, to investigate the controversial thiopurine treatment. He said, “The efficacy of thiopurines in the scenarios in which they are prescribed, either to induce or to maintain remission in IBD, is well proven…

Certain patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease of the colon, have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to individuals without IBD. A number of factors contribute to the increase in risk, which necessitates an individualized and sensible approach to surveillance in patients, according to a new medical position statement and technical review published by the American Gastroenterological Association in its official journal, Gastroenterology…

Although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [comprising mainly Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)] is thought to affect about 150 000 people in the United Kingdom, the prevalence of severe IBD is not known. Mortality following hospitalization for IBD is significant but little has been reported on long-term follow-up. A research article published on January 28, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this problem…

Medical Marijuana Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) applauds the New Jersey State Assembly and Senate for having approved “The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act” on Monday, January 11, 2010. A804/S119 removes state-wide penalties for possession of up to two ounces of marijuana when a New Jersey licensed Physician recommends it for one of the qualified medical conditions including Aids, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Crohn’s disease among others…

Researchers led by Dr. Terrence A. Barrett of Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Illinois have discovered that activation of NK-κB, an inflammatory mediator, results in diarrhea in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

New research by the University of Adelaide could help explain why some people are more prone to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune diseases. A critical imbalance of the regulatory cells required to control the immune system has been revealed among people suffering inflammatory bowel disease. In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology this month, Pathology researcher Dr Nicola Eastaff-Leung reveals that people suffering Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have fewer numbers of regulatory cells and more “attack” cells that cause inflammation…