New Treatment For Crohn's Disease Sounds Promising

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease which can have both acute and chronic effects. It can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, but it is most commonly found in the lower part of the small intestine (ileum). It affects about 1 in 1500 people mostly adults and can also be seen in children. It is not an infectious illness. The exact cause of the disease is not known. There is no cure for people with Crohn’s disease but they can get relief from its symptoms with dietary changes, drugs or surgery. Studies show that extra corporeal photopheresis (ECP) appears to be the new treatment for Crohn’s disease. Patients of this disease cannot tolerate or are refractory to immunosuppressants and or anti-TNF agents.

During ECP treatment, small portion of the patient’s white blood cells are collected and treated with 8-methoxypsoralen. This is a drug that belongs to the natural compounds called as psoralens. They are then activated by exposing them to ultraviolet-A radiation. The activated 8-methoxypsoralen induces apoptosis or programmed cell death in the white blood cells, which are then returned to the patient. This way the patient is exposed to only small amounts of the drug. This new treatment for crohn’s disease is usually carried out on out-patient basis and requires several sittings.

 

The FDA approves Therakos UVAR®"XTS™ instrument along with 8-methoxypsoralen for the palliative treatment of the skin manifestations of cutaneous T cell lymphoma that is unresponsive to other forms of treatment. It has been established as a safety profile and more than 500,000 treatments have been conducted with it since 1987. The common side-effects of this treatment are transient, non-serious hypotensive episodes and mild transient decrease in hematocrit and levels of hemoglobin.

 

A 50% response rate was seen in patients after 3 months of ECP treatment. They showed good improvement in their symptoms and signs within 6 weeks of treatment. This study shows the effective use of ECP in treating patients with Crohn’s disease. This treatment is believed to improve tolerance in the immune system. Most patients, in contrast are treated for IBD with medicines that suppress the immune system and also have many side effects.

 

FDA has approved Entocort EC (budesonide) capsules for the treatment of mild to moderate Crohn’s disease affecting certain parts of the small and large intestines. This steroid given orally is released in the intestines, where it works locally and topically to reduce inflammation. Patients who were given this steroid experienced fewer of the side effects usually associated with the intake of steroids like prednisone, which is a new treatment for Crohn’s disease. This is because not all of the Entocort EC is absorbed into the body. The most common side effects in these patients were headache, nausea and respiratory infection. Some experienced swelling of the face and acne.

 

Infliximab (Remicade) is the first new drug which has been effective in treating Crohn’s disease in 30 years. It is given intravenously and helps to slow down the inflammatory process.

 

New treatments for Crohn’s Disease are being researched worldwide. The researchers hope to find solutions to treat and cure this disease. It is however still in a nascent stage in the field of medicine. People suffering from Crohn’s disease should only hope for the best and in the current situation, try and learn to live with the disease.