Emerging drugs for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis: review of phase II and III clinical trials

IntroductionCurrent therapeutic options for patients with ulcerative colitis comprise monoclonal antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (TNF), alpha4/beta7 integrin, and interleukin (IL)12/23 as well as small molecules such as tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ozanimod, and filgotinib. However, many patients fail to respond to these agents or have loss of response over time. Therefore, there is a large unmet clinical need for new therapeutic agents.Areas coveredHere, we review recent phase 2/3 studies in active ulcerative colitis and discuss preliminary data on the efficacy (clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission) and safety of novel drugs including Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, IL23 blockers, integrin inhibitors, and S1P1R modulators.Expert opinionWe highlight the potential impact of these agents for the future therapeutic landscape of this disease with special emphasis on clinical impact, unmet needs, safety aspects, and advanced combination therapy.