A New Target to Transform IBD Treatment
Navigating Life with IBD
Noah was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD) when he was in middle school. “I barely went to school. Getting up in the morning was tough with trips to the bathroom, then being nervous that I would have to leave class to go to the bathroom. It was nerve wracking trying to navigate middle school and what my day was going to look like with a recently diagnosed disease where I didn't know if I was going to have symptoms.”
Noah’s story reflects the all-too-common experience associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including CD and ulcerative colitis (UC). Characterized by persistent inflammation, IBD can lead to an accumulation of scar tissue in the intestinal wall, known as fibrosis, which may cause narrowing and obstruction that often requires hospitalization and surgery.1 Over time, this damage can increase the risk of other serious conditions, such as colon cancer, and can eventually require surgical resections of the intestines and use of an ostomy bag, further exacerbating the impact on quality of life.1
“I've been on a lot of different medications, and there was always hope when I was put on a new one,” said Randa, a patient living with UC. But existing treatment options were insufficient, resulting in a cycle of relief followed by a return of symptoms. “Oftentimes it did work for a couple of weeks or a month at most, and then I would start experiencing the symptoms again... we felt helpless at times. You felt just kind of let down. Like this was supposed to be the answer.”
Dr. Marla Dubinsky discusses the significant burden of IBD on patients.
The physical symptoms of IBD are persistent, with unexpected flareups that can cause debilitating pain and urgent trips to the bathroom.2 Beyond just the physical toll, these intense and often unpredictable symptoms can severely disrupt patients’ daily lives and impact their mental health, inhibiting their education, work and social relationships, and affecting their ability to pursue the most basic activities.1
What New Advancements in Immunology Research Can Hold for Patients
Patients don’t want an ostomy bag. Patients don’t want colon cancer. Patients don’t want surgery. Patients don’t want to wear a diaper. Patients want to work. They want to actually live their best life.
Dr. Marla Dubinsky
Co-Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, and Chief of the Pediatric Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA
Like many immune-mediated diseases, IBD does not have a cure. The goal of treatment is to induce and maintain remission and prevent flares.2 While treatments exist, patients often cycle through periods of remission and relapse and need new therapeutic options that can provide higher and more durable remission rates, while also controlling symptoms and providing relief.2
“Imagine if we could get therapies that not only control inflammation like our current therapies do, but also have a different pathway that could really be the next revolution of the way we approach disease,” said Dr. Dubinsky.
Using our long-standing expertise in immunoscience that leverages our deep experience in immunology and vaccines, we are advancing a leading immunology pipeline of potential medicines to address the needs of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, including IBD.
Targeting TL1A Through a New Partnership
When it comes to immunology research and development, our approach is centered on restoring balance within the immune system to address the root causes of numerous immune-mediated diseases. For IBD, this has led us to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like ligand 1A (TL1A), a clinically validated cytokine which is implicated in several immune-mediated and fibrotic diseases.
Targeting the TL1A pathway has shown great promise as a potential mechanism for addressing IBD symptoms by reducing inflammation in the digestive tract of people with UC or CD. In clinical research, blocking the interaction of TL1A with the DR3 receptor (another immune protein) has shown promise to achieve remission in individuals with UC and those with CD.
Sanofi is partnering with Teva Pharmaceuticals to advance a new treatment approach targeting the TL1A pathway that could one day change the standard-of-care in IBD. This partnership leverages our combined R&D expertise and commitment to pioneering transformative therapies for patients who are waiting.
Our joint research with Teva into the TL1A pathway is an excellent example of our innovative approach to tackling difficult-to-treat diseases. Our collaborative efforts have allowed us to explore the potential of this asset as an impactful new treatment option for the patients who are waiting for better therapies.
Alyssa Johnsen, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Global Therapeutic Area Head for Immunology and Oncology Development
A Gut Feeling of Hope
Chasing the miracles of science can take time, and further research will be needed to fully understand the potential of the TL1A pathway, but the prospect of a future new treatment approach has given hope to patients.
Sanofi continues to investigate core immune pathways across dermatology, respiratory, gastroenterology and autoimmune diseases. Today, we want to raise efficacy ceilings, intervene early in the disease, change its course and reach remission.
Because at the center of everything we do are patients like Noah or Randa who, despite the challenges of IBD, remain optimistic for the future. “I can only imagine… ten years from now. I do think it’s an exciting time,” said Noah.
We owe it to these patients to live up to that hope.
References
- CDC. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Basics. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). July 19, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/inflammatory-bowel-disease/about/index.html
- Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Managing Flares and IBD Symptoms. Published online June 2019. Accessed January 22, 2025. https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/managing-flares-brochure-final-online.pdf
- Sanofi. r-and-d-day-2023-epidemiology-data-v2.pdf. Published online December 7, 2023. Accessed January 22, 2025.