Vercirnon for the treatment of Crohn's disease
Kristen O Arseneau1, Fabio Cominelli
1Case Western Reserve University, Department of Medicine and Digestive Health Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 44122, USA.
Introduction:
CCR9 antagonism is a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of Crohn's disease. CCR9 is expressed on the cell surface of memory/effector CD4(+) T cells and selectively binds to the small intestinal lymphocyte chemoattractant CCL25 (TECK). Blockade of the CCR9/CCL25 interaction inhibits lymphocyte homing to the intestinal mucosa, thereby limiting inflammation and disease at this site.
Areas Covered:
This review details the current research on CCR9 antagonism and summarizes available clinical trial data for vercirnon , a selective CCR9 antagonist currently under development.
Expert Opinion:
If the results of ongoing large-scale clinical trials of vercirnon are in line with preliminary reports, CCR9 antagonism may have comparable efficacy to anti-TNF therapies and a potentially superior safety profile, making it the latest addition to the growing arsenal of immunomodulatory drug therapies available to combat Crohn's disease. Moreover, since vercirnon is an oral drug, its associated costs will likely be much lower than expensive infusion-based anti-TNF therapies, providing further economic benefits.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
Drugs for Treatment of Diarrhea-Predominant IBS
Two specific drugs used in the treatment are alosetron (Lotronex) and eluxadoline (Viberzi). Alosetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, works by slowing the movement of stools in the gut, reducing bowel...


