Current and future therapies for inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

The introduction of biologic agents to the therapeutic arsenal has dramatically impacted the way we treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease, allowing clinicians to achieve lasting remission in patients who are unresponsive to conventional therapies. New research continues to expand our understanding of the inflammatory cascade of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, revealing a host of potential therapeutic targets for intervention. As we look toward the future in this rapidly developing field, we must learn how best to incorporate these new agents into the treatment algorithm to enhance or replace conventional therapies.

Keywords::

• aminosalicylates
• azathioprine
• biologic therapies
• Crohn’s disease
• inflammatory bowel disease
• sargramostim
• selective adhesion molecules
• TNF-α
• ulcerative coliti

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Sunanda Kane has been a consultant for Shire Pharmaceuticals, Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories, Elan Pharmaceuticals and UCB Pharma. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.