Mid-stage study results reported Monday show that Gilead Sciences' oral treatment, emvistegrast, eliminated symptoms for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. The Phase 2 trial found that a 200 milligram daily dose taken for 12 weeks produced a 23% placebo-adjusted clinical remission rate, a statistically significant improvement that exceeded Wall Street analyst expectations.
Swati Tole, who leads clinical development for Gilead's inflammatory disease medicines, told STAT on Friday that the data were encouraging. She noted that while other therapies exist for inflammatory bowel disease, many patients continue to experience persistent symptoms and do not achieve remission. Tole stated that emvistegrast has the potential to be a best-in-class oral option for these patients.
The positive results support Gilead’s broader push to develop new drugs for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.