Takeda launches first gut-selective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in the UK

The first gut-selective treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is now available in the UK, following licensing by European regulators. Receiving its first launch, Entyvio (vedolizumab) is a new class of therapy, working selectively in the gut to block the abnormal immune response.

This reduces inflammation and associated symptoms, and it is the first treatment to be licensed simultaneously for both indications, which are the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. Entyvio has been developed by Japan’s largest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502).

The European Medicines Agency recognized its ability to meet the unmet medical need of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease patients for whom current therapies are insufficient. The data from Entyvio’s trials showed 40% of patients across both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease who showed an initial response to vedolizumab at six weeks and continued in the maintenance study were in remission at the end of year one. This compares favorably to placebo, where 15.9% in ulcerative colitis and 21.6% in Crohn’s disease achieved the same result.