Deep Remission, Mucosal Healing, and Top-Down Treatment Strategies in Ulcerative Colitis: An Infographic Journey

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease with a progressive course characterized by exacerbations and remissions. Traditionally, the goals of therapy for UC have entailed resolution of clinical symptoms such as rectal bleeding, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, pain, and fatigue. However, treatment goals for UC have evolved to a treat-to-target strategy with targets such as mucosal/endoscopic healing, histologic healing, or deep remission (i.e., clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic remission) with the objective of preventing structural damage and disability. Conventional therapies have not been uniformly effective in achieving these aims, necessitating augmentation with steroids and carrying adverse risk often requiring discontinuation.

There has been an exponential growth in the pursuits of better targeted therapy to optimize IBD clinical outcomes. IBD therapies that explore new targets and inflammatory pathways are emerging to address the current treatment gaps observed with conventional and biologic therapies.

This CME Outfitters interactive infographic explains the importance of initiating early targeted biologic therapy and provides evidence-based strategies to take action to achieve sustained remission and long-term clinical outcomes.