Evaluation of new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.
The pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is gradually being unravelled and new therapies are being developed to target the disturbed biological processes. This article outlines the clinical features of IBD, its current therapy and pathogenesis. The difficulties for clinical pharmacologists and gastroenterologists associated with designing, executing and interpreting clinical trials in IBD are then discussed. The final section reviews methods that can used to demonstrate the pharmacological actions of new treatments in patients with IBD. It is emphasized that proof of the therapeutic efficacy of a novel agent with a specific mechanism of action yields not only clinical benefit to patients with IBD, but also indicates the importance of the targeted biochemical pathway in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Carty
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Academic Department of Adult and Paediatric Gastroenterology, Barts and The London School of Medicine, Start 1 Building, 2, Newark Street, London E1 2AD, UK.
Rampton
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D001706:Biopsy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa; D011788:Quality of Life; D012074:Remission Induction; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical
D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents