New Drugs on the Horizon

There seems to be quite a few new drugs in the pipeline for the treatment of UC.  Here are a couple that I have found that could be released within a year-

Uceris-Possible approval by end of this year-

http://www.rttnews.com/1820812/santarus-says-fda-accepts-application-seeking-approval-for-colon-drug-uceris.aspx?type=bn

Here's a drug in phase III that could help those that have failed Remicade/Humira-

http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/12-02-21/Takeda_s_vedolizumab_shines_in_Phase_III_ulcerative_colitis_trial.aspx

 

I wonder how Uceris is different from Entocort.

whether it is for the small or large intestine might be related to the formulation and/or coating so that it targets different areas. I think Uceris is a time-release formula, but do not see too many other details. I did find a poster at a gastro conferene where the success rate among patients who had not gotten remission with other therapies was 25% (althought they say 33% had complete resolution of symptioms, which IMO is just as good).

"CONCLUSIONS: 25% of patients achieved robust clinical and endoscopic remission
and 33.3% achieved complete symptom resolution with 8 weeks of open label BMMX
9 mg after initial treatment allocation in a placebo controlled trial failed to
induce remission. An additional 8 week course of B-MMX 9 mg in patients previously
exposed to B-MMX treatment does not significantly affect MPC. Therapy
with B-MMX for up to 16 consecutive weeks was safe and well-tolerated"

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ibd.21939/pdf (p. 30)

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While both articles are welcome news, these do seem to be medications that dampen inflamation, and would need to be taken at maintence doses - in other words do not directly correct the underlying dysregulation in the immune system

This is from an article about Uceris-

Uceris is a locally acting corticosteroid in a novel, patented, oral tablet formulation, which utilizes proprietary MMX multi-matrix system technology and is designed to result in the controlled release and distribution of budesonide throughout the length of the colon. 

It would appear that its coating/formulation causes it to work in just the colon.

Posted Today 11:30 AM (GMT -8) Quote This PostIgnore Posts From Indycat23.alert An Admin about This Post.
There seems to be quite a few new drugs in the pipeline for the treatment of UC. Here are a couple that I have found that could be released within a year-


...

Here's a drug in phase III that could help those that have failed Remicade/Humira-
http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/12-02-21/Takeda_s_vedolizumab_shines_in_Phase_III_ulcerative_colitis_trial.aspx


================================

Hi,

First post here but I have been reading for a while.

I was on the experimental drug vedolizumab between December 2010 and January 2012 with the infusions taking place in Vancouver, Canada. I stopped the treatment because improvement was minimal.

I've started azathioprine (imuran) in January 2012 and will start on infleximab (Remicade) in March 2012.

The experimental drug didn't work for me but apparently it did work for others. In the article on vedolizumab, no statistics are mentioned. They are keeping that a secret to be told at a very important upcoming conference!

Thanks Indycat23.


_____________________________________________
60 year old male diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1991.

Presently taking:
-imuran, since February 2012
-infleximab starting in March 2012
-mezavant, (Mesalamine or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA)
-prednisone, (enemas)

I used to take:
-vedolizumab December 2010 to January 2012 (an experimental drug)

     I wish they would find something to cure this dreadful disease.  I'm an old lady and was diagnosed with UP at age 52, but when I read how sick some of you young people are with IBD, it makes me heartsick.

     Notsosickly....the weight gain that prednisone gives you was the least of my problems.  It gave me full blown osteoporosis, uncontrollable high blood pressure and type 2 Diabetes....ugh....so glad to be off that poison!! But it was the only drug that helped me.  However, the dependency on it almost killed me.  Surgery was my last resort but it saved my life.

     Praying every day someone will find a cure.

A friend just sent me the article:

Will using expired drugs kill you?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3040/will-using-expired-drugs-kill-you

From what I learned budesonide is used for small intestine and not colon because it dissolves before getting to the colon.
I got budesonide enemas from a swedish manufacturer and had them brought to the US to try for a week. GI thought it was worth a try. Of course they did not help, but trying everything even if it involves smuggling medicine is what one has to do.
The GI is innocent, he did not know how I got them. Hope there is wi-fi in jail so I can keep posting.

I thought it was illegal to bring them in. I was never able to claim any medical expenses from the US on my taxes in any case. The threshold for medical expenses is ridiculously high. Maybe I am using the wrong CPA. I am about to do the 2011 return, are you available Peace&Harmony :)...

The only thing I have used is the infamous FSAs, another aberration by our lawmakers, not only you are sick and have to deal with insurance companies, now you also have to guess how much you will spend next year or lose the excess. Why? What is wrong with making medical expenses tax deductible from the first dollar without any accounting gymnastics?

Here's another study that I read about thiis morning. I notice they are not doing trials in the US, I wonder how long before it would be FDA approved.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01493960?term=NCT01493960&rank=1