New Treatment for Chron's Disease Can Offer Relief

A new treatment could offer relief to patients suffering from inflammatory bowel conditions Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that Vedolizumab, an intravenous antibody medication can act as treatment to approximately four million people suffering from auto-immune diseases.

This treatment resulted in remission and allowed patients to stop taking prednisone, a type of drug that have ample side effects used to treat Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis.

"Two trials showed highly encouraging results for patients suffering from moderate to severe Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis when conventional therapy such as steroids and other drugs failed," said the lead author of the study, William Sandborn of the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Sandborn further stated "these latest findings will potentially lead to a new drug therapy that will improve a patient's overall lifestyle."

According to the AFP, Vedolizumab blocks immune system cells that release proteins known as cytokines which trigger inflammation and causes diarrhea and tissue damage in the colon and small intestine.

Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, intestinal bleeding and weight loss.