PIPELINE: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises two types of chronic autoimmune disease of the intestinal tract. Crohn´s disease primarily affects the small intestine while ulcerative colitis affects only the colon. The primary symptoms of both conditions are abdominal pain and diarrhea. The prevalence of IBD is about equally divided between Crohn´s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The most effective treatments for IBD are injected anti-TNF antibodies. Although these systemically available antibodies are highly effective, they are also associated with significant safety concerns — a long-term risk of malignancy and the reactivation of tuberculosis. Because of these concerns, along with the high cost of anti-TNF therapy, the use of anti-TNF antibodies is generally reserved for patients who have failed to respond to other medications.
We are developing an oral anti-TNF antibody for inflammatory bowel disease. Oral dosing delivers the antibody to the site of inflammation in the gut. As a result, we expect our oral anti-TNF antibody to cause less systemic immunosuppression than is seen with injected anti-TNF products.
REFERENCES
- Kozuch, P. L. & Hanauer, S. B. (2008). Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: a review of medical therapy. World J Gastroenterol, 14(3), 354-377.
- Worledge, K. L., Godiska, R., Barrett, T. A., & Kink, J. A. (2000). Oral administration of avian tumor necrosis factor antibodies effectively treats experimental colitis in rats. Dig Dis Sci, 45(12), 2298-2305.
