UC: NEW DRUG BRINGS HOPE TO PATIENTS
With 26,000 sufferers, Scotland has the highest prevalence of Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) in the United Kingdom. Now, a new medicine is available to those suffering from one element of IBD… ulcerative colitis
highest rate. U
Now, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted RINVOQ® (upadacitinib) for use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active UC, who have had an inadequate response, lost response or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a biologic agent.
Living with UC impacts all aspects of a person’s life, largely due to unpredictable symptoms such as bowel urgency, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and bowel incontinence. The severity of symptoms and uncertainty surrounding flares can lead to a substantial burden and often cause disability for those living with the disease.
‘Daily life with ulcerative colitis is difficult due to the debilitating and unpredictable nature of its symptoms,’ said Dr Jonathan Macdonald,
lcerative colitis (UC) is estimated to affect around 23,500 people across Scotland, with the capital having the world’s second
Consultant Gastroenterologist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
‘Clinical trials have shown that upadacitinib as a once daily pill controls symptoms in eight weeks for many patients and provided sustained responses at one year. The SMC’s decision is good news for people with ulcerative colitis in Scotland as it provides an additional treatment option to help them gain control of their condition.’
This SMC decision is based on data from the induction studies U-ACHIEVE and U- ACCOMPLISH, as well as the Phase 3 U-ACHIEVE maintenance study, which demonstrated the efficacy of upadacitinib versus placebo in its ability to achieve clinical remission.
‘This lifelong disease impacts all aspects of life for people with ulcerative colitis and we see this first hand from those who need our support,’ said Ruth Wakeman, Director of Services, Advocacy and Evidence, Crohn’s & Colitis UK. ‘We welcome this decision by the SMC as there is a
clear need for more treatment options to help improve the lives of people with ulcerative colitis and their families.’
Upadacitinib now offers patients an additional treatment choice in the therapeutic class of janus kinase inhibitors. The drug’s safety and efficacy profile has been evaluated in adults with moderately to severely active UC and the results were consistent with the known safety profile of upadacitinib in other licensed indications, with no new important safety risks observed.
In the placebo-controlled UC induction and maintenance clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse events with upadacitinib 45 mg, 30 mg or 15 mg were upper respiratory tract infection, increased blood creatine phosphokinase, acne, neutropenia, rash, herpes zoster, hypercholesterolaemia, folliculitis, herpes simplex and influenza.
The most common serious adverse events were serious infections.
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THIS LIFELONG DISEASE IMPACTS ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS
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