CHICAGO, IL (May 16, 2005) Research presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2005 (DDW) highlights three promising biologic therapies that may provide new treatment options for millions of people suffering with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) worldwide. Clinical trial results show that AlequelTM, adalimumab (Humira) and infliximab (Remicade) are effective in decreasing the severity of IBD symptoms and increasing rates of clinical remission and response in patients. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

IBD currently affects more than a million Americans and leads to many millions of dollars in lost productivity and missed days of work every year. IBD is an umbrella term referring to several chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Symptoms for both conditions are very similar and it is often difficult for physicians to differentiate between the two. The most common symptoms of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and weight loss.

"Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are serious and complex diseases with varied treatment options. Unfortunately, the available therapies are not effective in many patients.," said John Johanson, M.D., of the University of Illinois. "These findings deliver promising news for patients who do not respond to currently available therapies and is a much needed step in improving the lives of people suffering from IBD."

The studies below analyzed patient response based on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), which measures the severity of a patient's disease and the Mayo score for ulcerative colitis.

A Double Blind Clinical Trial for Treatment of Crohn's Disease by Oral Administration of Alequel'"/>


16-May-2005

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