UChicago Medicine has marked a milestone in ulcerative colitis (UC) care by administering the first dose of Tremfya (guselkumab), a newly FDA-approved medication for moderate to severe UC. The treatment, delivered on September 17, 2024, was given to a 35-year-old patient who has lived with UC for 13 years.
Tremfya, originally approved for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, was shown in clinical trials to be effective for UC as well. It works by targeting interleukin-23 (IL-23), a cytokine implicated in many immune-related diseases, including ulcerative colitis.
Clinical trials led by Dr. David T. Rubin, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology at UChicago Medicine, demonstrated that Tremfya not only induces remission but also sustains it over time with a favorable safety profile. “In the clinical trials, guselkumab achieved and maintained remission with excellent safety. It’s great to have another effective option for our patients,” said Dr. Rubin, who also directs UChicago Medicine’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.
Key features of Tremfya include:
- A monoclonal antibody targeting IL-23, reducing inflammation.
- Proven efficacy in achieving and maintaining clinical remission in UC patients.
- A history of safe use in other immune conditions, including psoriasis.
The administration of Tremfya aligns with UChicago Medicine’s commitment to innovative treatment strategies. The institution is actively exploring combination therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), medications that reset the immune system, and approaches to reduce long-term therapy reliance.
