STAT+: Gilead’s IBS drug eliminated symptoms for patients, mid-stage study finds

An oral treatment from Gilead Sciences has shown promising results in eliminating symptoms for patients with a type of inflammatory bowel disease, according to mid-stage study findings released on Monday. The study, which focused on patients with ulcerative colitis, revealed that a daily dose of 200 milligrams of the Gilead pill, called emvistegrast, led to a 23% placebo-adjusted clinical remission rate for those with moderate to severe symptoms.

This improvement exceeded Wall Street analyst expectations. Swati Tole, Gilead's senior vice president overseeing clinical development of its inflammatory disease medicines, expressed optimism about the potential of emvistegrast to become a best-in-class oral treatment for ulcerative colitis patients. While there are other therapies available for those with inflammatory bowel disease, many patients still experience persistent symptoms and do not achieve remission.