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IBD Clinical Trial Landscape: 3 Greatest Unmet Needs in IBD Clinical Development in 2023  

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With the steady increase in the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) worldwide and the discovery of new disease pathways, there has also been a renewed interest in IBD drug development. During the ten years from 2010 to 2020, the number of clinical trials in the IBD therapeutic area almost doubled due to a combination of factors, including the continuous development of biologics, the discovery of new pathways, and, consequently, the introduction of new classes of medications such as JAK–STAT pathway inhibitors.

Our new white paper Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current Status and Future Perspectives offers insights into recent trial and research developments that will most impact study design and operationalization for various IBD therapies and indications. In our previous post, we discussed the common challenges in IBD patient enrollment. In such a competitive landscape, it is also critical for drug developers to understand the major unmet needs in IBD management.

1. Lack of Predictive Biomarkers for Early Diagnostic Testing

There are a number of biomarkers, divided into two groups based on their application, currently used in clinical practice, but there is no single one that can help with an accurate diagnosis of IBD. The first group, aimed at diagnosis and monitoring of IBD, contains blood-based biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and stool-based biomarkers (e.g., fecal calprotectin, fecal lactoferrin, fecal neopterin, and polymorphonuclear neutrophil elastase). The second group of biomarkers, aimed at the subclassification of IBD between UC and CD, includes blood-based biomarkers such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs), anti–outer membrane protein C (Anti-OmpC), anti–S. cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA), and anti-I2, anti-carbohydrate, and pancreatic antibodies.i These biomarkers can only be used as supporting data secondary to clinical data and endoscopic examination. Another limitation of biomarkers is their inability to predict response to therapy in patients with IBD.

2. Lack of Drugs with Minimal Side Effects

Conventional therapy methods, including 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, thiopurines, anti-TNFs, and others, are generally effective in controlling symptoms, but adverse side effects such as immunosuppression, systemic fungal infections, and possible cancer development may have an overall negative impact on the disease outcome. There continues to be an unmet need for long-term treatments with minimal side effects, one of the greatest motivators for driving new IBD biologic development. For instance, all anti-TNF-α drugs in the US carry a boxed warning due to the increased risk of infections in 25–30% of patients, with limited treatment options afterwards. Etrolizumab was a potentially promising drug that was thought to close this gap, but as of November 2022, etrolizumab met its primary endpoint of inducing remission versus placebo for patients with UC in only two out of five studies and failed to meet its primary endpoint versus placebo as maintenance therapy.ii

3. Lack of Oral Drug Formulations

Based on the literature analysis and feedback from clinical trial investigators (and indirectly from the patients), the primary unmet need in management of moderate to severe IBD is lack of oral drug formulations: patients would prefer an oral formulation over the subcutaneous or intravenous administration. If the disease progresses further, requires hospitalization and IV corticosteroids, treatment options are limited with options of infliximab or cyclosporin, that in turn have significant side effects and they are at risk of toxic megacolon or bowel perforation with subsequent surgery. Prevention of this outcome is another focus of drug development – finding effective drugs for a late-stage disease.

Key Takeaways

IBD therapeutics and biologic developments have, thus far, not been able to provide substantial holistic solutions that improve a patient’s quality of life. More than that, limitations in testing, serious side effects, recalls and a lack of convenient therapeutic options have made minimal improvements upon current therapies. With the growing number of IBD studies, it is essential to consider and choose the right partner to help your IBD clinical trial stand out.

Despite the competition, PSI continues to deliver higher enrollment rates than typical across the industry due to our relationships with more than 3,900+ IBD sites around the world. Our studies are successful due to our long-term relationships with recruiting sites; we know the investigators on a personal level and they are motivated to work with us. Visit us online to learn more about our IBD therapeutic experience.

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i Soubières, A. A., & Poullis, A. (2016). Emerging Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 22(8), 2016–2022. https://doi.org/10.1097/MIB.0000000000000836  

ii M. Agrawal, B. Verstockt. (2021) Etrolizumab for ulcerative colitis: beyond what meets the eye. Lancer Gastoenterology and Hematology 7(1): P2-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00369-1