Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda has proven that its new experimental drug is effective in treating both Crohn's disease an Ulcerative Colitis, both debilitating conditions that can in the most severe cases, cause death.
The disease affects nearly 1.5 Americans, and there are no known cures. The medicines available for treatment are only effective at around the 25th percentile in generating remission.
The drug, called vedolizumab, was given to a trial pool of 852 patients for a year. Of the patients treated in the double blind study, nearly 40% achieved remission. A similar study of the drug also showed that patients taking the drug for a year went into remission.
There are a good number of sufferers of the conditions who either do not respond to treatment with conventional drugs, or soon lose sensitivity to them, causing a return of the condition.
The patients in the trial pool were subjects who had proven resistance to one or more of the conventional treatment methods.
The cost of treatment of Crohn's and UC in the US is very high, and is estimated at almost 2 billion dollars per year.
Crohn's disease sufferers eventually require surgery in 75% of the cases. That percentage is only 25% for those who suffer with UC.
Partial Source : Bloomberg/ 8.23.13
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