New treatment strategies for ulcerative colitis

Therapeutic strategies in ulcerative colitis are evolving. A personalized and optimal use of available drugs and the integration of new drug classes are the cornerstones underpinning the new treatment paradigms. Areas covered: A structured literature search in Medline and PubMed, Cochrane meta-analyses, and abstracts of international congresses has been performed to review therapeutic approaches to ulcerative colitis. The primary therapeutic objective of therapy is to achieve clinical remission since persistence of active disease, even if mild, leads to a significant reduction in quality of life. Current treatment paradigms of ulcerative colitis are based on the use of 5-aminosalycilates, corticosteroids, thiopurines, TNF-α inhibitors and α4ß7 integrin blockers. The main determinants for drug class selection are disease extension, disease severity, and previous drug history. New drug classes that will likely become available in the foreseeable future include inhibitors of Janus kinases, modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors, SMAD-7 antisense oligonucleotides, interleukin-12/23 blockers, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Expert commentary: Increasing therapeutic options for ulcerative colitis make predictors of response highly relevant. While these are not available, judicious use of therapies, avoidance of underdosing, or persistent therapy when criteria for drug failure are met are essential.