DDW 2026 Recap: 5 Trials to Know

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026 featured a wave of new data across inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with investigators highlighting advances in disease modification, long-term durability, and emerging therapeutic mechanisms. From phase 3 fistulizing Crohn disease data to early evidence supporting varenicline in IBS, this year’s meeting delivered several studies with potential implications for clinical practice.

In light of the volume of research presented in Chicago, the editorial team at HCPLive has collected 5 notable studies and trial updates from DDW 2026.

Catch up on the major gastrointestinal data you may have missed below:

Dupilumab Improves Esophageal Distensibility in EoE, With Evan Dellon, MD, MPH

New 24-week data from the phase 4 REMODEL trial provided the first randomized, controlled evidence that dupilumab may improve esophageal distensibility in EoE, suggesting potential benefits beyond symptom control alone. Presented by Evan Dellon, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, the findings support the possibility that dupilumab could influence the underlying remodeling process associated with chronic fibrostenotic disease progression in EoE.

Varenicline Shows Early Promise for Pain, Bowel Symptoms in IBS, With Ayah Matar, MD

Early-phase findings presented by Ayah Matar, MD, a postdoctoral researcher at Mayo Clinic, suggested varenicline may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for non-constipation IBS. Currently approved for smoking cessation, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist demonstrated potential to improve both abdominal pain and bowel symptoms, highlighting a possible new mechanistic pathway for symptom management in IBS, an area with historically limited treatment options.

Real-World Data Favor Risankizumab for Long-Term Persistence in Crohn's Disease

A claims-based analysis presented by Gil Melmed, MD, of Cedars-Sinai examined 24-month real-world switching rates among patients with Crohn disease initiating risankizumab, adalimumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, or vedolizumab. The analysis suggested risankizumab may offer stronger long-term treatment persistence compared to several commonly used biologics, providing additional real-world context as clinicians weigh durability and treatment sequencing in Crohn disease management.

Phase 3 FUZION Data Support Guselkumab in Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease

Findings from the phase 3 FUZION trial offered encouraging evidence supporting guselkumab in patients with active perianal fistulizing Crohn disease, a historically difficult-to-treat population with limited therapeutic options. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, MD, PhD, highlighted the potential clinical significance of the findings during an interview with HCPLive, noting the data may help reshape future treatment strategies for fistulizing disease.

Mirikizumab Demonstrates Sustained Disease Clearance Through 4 Years in Ulcerative Colitis

Long-term data from the LUCENT clinical trial program demonstrated consistent and sustained disease clearance through 4 years among patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis treated with mirikizumab. Presented by Jean Frédéric Colombel, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the findings further reinforce the durability of IL-23 pathway inhibition in UC, with mirikizumab continuing to demonstrate efficacy across both induction and maintenance treatment phases.