Are All Janus Kinase Inhibitors for Inflammatory Bowel Disease the Same?

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are chronic, progressive inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and are without a known cure. Janus kinase (JAK) is a family of cytosolic tyrosine kinases that mediate signal transduction in response to extracellular stimuli. Abrogating the proinflammatory cytokine signaling cascades using JAK inhibitors (jakinibs) has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of numerous inflammatory diseases, including IBD.

The Rise of Private Equity in Gastroenterology Practices.

Private equity (PE) investment in gastroenterology practices has significantly increased over the past several years. Because PE firms are prevented legally from owning a medical practice in many states, they usually form a management services organization to oversee all nonclinical aspects of the practice, leaving all clinical functions to the physician owners. Gastroenterology practices have become attractive investments to PE firms because of the willingness of gastroenterologists to join a PE-backed practice and the potential to earn profits through consolidating the market.

Advanced Combination Treatment With Biologic Agents and Novel Small Molecule Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The use of combination therapy with a biologic agent and immunosuppressant has well-established efficacy and safety and is common practice in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Current research has shifted focus toward the use of advanced combination treatment (ACT). This term was coined to describe combination therapy using 2 or more advanced treatments (biologic agents and/or oral small molecule drugs) with the aim of achieving optimal disease control in selected patients.

A New Tool to Assess Disease Severity in Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

The presentation of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is heterogeneous with varied clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features impacting the severity of the condition. Until recently, however, and in contrast with many other conditions, there has been no standardized way to measure disease severity in EoE. A clinically applicable method for assessing severity in routine practice has been recognized as necessary to standardize assessment and management of EoE.

Leveraging Virtual Technology to Conduct Clinical Trials in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Clinical trials have led to major advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care over the last few decades, yet in that time most clinical trial protocols in IBD have remained markedly the same. Many IBD protocols often still require face-to-face visits and monitoring, hospital-based medication administration, paper-based forms and questionnaires, and short follow-up periods resulting in limited long-term data. These factors have recently been recognized as likely contributors to the low recruitment and lack of diversity of participants across clinical trials in IBD.