Navigating Biologic Therapy Options in IBD

In this episode, “Navigating Biologic Therapy Options in IBD,” the panelists explore the evolving treatment journey for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including experiences with biologic therapies and the path toward remission. The patient panelist reflects on the importance of communication with the care team, monitoring symptoms, and navigating treatment adjustments over time. Expert faculty discuss the rationale for initiating advanced therapies, including anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, and IL-23 inhibitors, while highlighting the importance of individualized treatment selection based on disease control, tolerability, and patient experience.

Throughout the discussion, the panel reviews the challenges associated with treatment switching and adverse events, including the patient’s experience with side effects while receiving a JAK inhibitor before transitioning to guselkumab, an IL-23 inhibitor. The patient panelist describes significant improvements after starting guselkumab, including resolution of urgency and fecal incontinence, improved dietary confidence, and meaningful changes in daily functioning and quality of life. Expert faculty also discuss the goals of modern IBD management, emphasizing the importance of achieving clinical remission, symptom control, and helping patients return to a more normal quality of life through advanced therapies. The conversation highlights how biologic therapies continue to reshape expectations for long-term disease management and remission in patients with IBD.

The next episode in this series, “Individualizing Biologic Therapy in IBD,” features the panelists discussing how disease severity, disease characteristics, and patient-specific factors influence biologic treatment selection in IBD. The panel also highlights the evolving role of IL-23 inhibitors, including guselkumab, and reviews considerations related to safety, administration, and early treatment intervention.