‘3 IBD treatment trends…early treatment is the first’

For inflammatory bowel disease

Jun Lee, Professor of Gastroenterology, Chosun University Hospital

"Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis… earlier drug use improves outcomes"

"Introduction of various drugs have increased treatment options...expectations rise on their combined use"

The treatment method for a single disease can continue to change at a very fast pace.

 

This is true for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

 

In recent years, a variety of drugs have been developed to treat these diseases, and the treatment trend is changing as more research is conducted.

 

Dr.

 

Jun Lee, a professor of gastroenterology at Chosun University Hospital, recently cited 3 recent trends in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases - early treatment, strict observation, and precise targeting.

 

"The most important thing is to use the drug as quickly as possible," said Lee, adding that a large-scale study that demonstrates this was recently published in the international journal Lancet.

 

"A variety of drugs are emerging, expanding treatment options...more to consider" According to Lee, the classic treatment for IBD is using steroids and immunosuppressants.

 

These drugs are still commonly used in the first-line treatment of IBD.

 

In the 2000s, the market saw a major shift in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including IBD.

 

The advent of the first biologics changed the approach to the disease.

 

In the past, the focus was on treating the disease with fewer drugs.

 

The prognosis was so poor, and there weren't many good drugs available, that side effects and patient comfort had to be less prioritized.

 

However, the emergence of several biologics, and more recently, oral treatments, has changed the treatment landscape.

 

The choice of treatment depends on the severity of the disease, as well as safety, side effects, patient comfort, pregnancy, and infection concerns.

 

"As a physician, it's a happy dilemma.

 

There are so many things to consider in line with the increased treatment options," said Dr.

 

Lee, "and because we don't yet have biomarkers that tell us in advance how well a patient will respond to a drug, it's important to know which position to use it in.

 

"There are different drugs for different patients.

 

Some patients respond to one drug for a long time, while others lose their response quickly," he said, adding, "At this point, a different treatment should be used.

 

The only regrettable thing is that it is difficult to switch between different treatments in Korea." "New trend in IBD is early treatment...the sooner the drug, the better" With the wider treatment options available, new trends have emerged in the treatment of IBD.

 

Dr.

 

Lee summarizes them as three - early treatment, strict observation, and the use of precisely targeted drugs.

 

Early treatment is the most important, Lee emphasized.

 

"The most important thing is to use drugs as early as possible.

 

There is a major study published in the Lancet that proves this, and I feel it in clinical practice.” Lee explained that it would be beneficial to administer the drug at an earlier time, especially for patients with a poor prognosis.

 

"If you have a patient with a poor prognosis, such as a large lesion area or ulceration, the earlier you start the drug, the better," Lee said.

 

Furthermore, these patients will benefit from "combination therapy" - the use of multiple drugs at the same time.

 

The idea is that because the drugs are diverse and have different mechanisms of action, they will complement each other to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.

 

"For example, in the case of HIV, the effectiveness of treatment has increased dramatically by using multiple drugs at once," said Lee.

 

"We are just beginning to see this in IBD.

 

So far, the results don't seem to have as many side effects as we feared.

 

If enough studies are accumulated to confirm the effectiveness, combination therapy may become a new trend."