Q1 2026 Recap: Gastroenterology News and Updates

The first quarter of 2026 delivered a steady stream of meaningful updates in gastroenterology, with advances spanning irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and real-world insights into treatment access and durability. Across clinical trials and observational research, the field continues to move toward more personalized, evidence-driven care while also grappling with persistent gaps in access and affordability.

Much of the momentum centered on IBD, where long-term extension data and real-world studies reinforced the durability and effectiveness of newer agents targeting IL-23 and JAK pathways. At the same time, head-to-head and sequencing data are beginning to more directly inform clinical decision-making, particularly in patients with prior biologic exposure. Parallel progress in IBS, including emerging microbiome-based therapies, signals growing innovation beyond traditional treatment paradigms.

Beyond therapeutics, the quarter also highlighted the broader patient experience, with new data underscoring the disproportionate financial and access-related challenges faced by younger adults with IBD.

Here’s a look at the key gastroenterology developments from Q1 2026.

EBX-102-02 Shows Benefit for IBS-C and IBS-D in Phase 2a TrIuMPH Trial

On January 8, 2026, EnteroBiotix Limited announced positive final results from TrIuMPH, a phase 2a clinical trial evaluating EBX-102-02, a next-generation oral full-spectrum microbiome therapeutic, in patients with IBS-C or IBS-D. In the 122-patient TrIuMPH study, EBX-102-02 demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in the IBS symptom severity score versus placebo, with clear separation from placebo observed as early as week 1 and sustained throughout the 6-week follow up period in both the IBS-C and IBS-D cohorts.

Young Adults With IBD Face Greater Healthcare Access Challenges, Financial Burdens

Recent research from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation sheds light on disproportionate healthcare access and financial burdens faced by young adults with IBD, highlighting greater levels of healthcare access challenges and financial distress among young adults versus adult and pediatric patients with the disease.

Related: Bridging the Insurance Gap in Transition-Age IBD Care, With Laura Wingate

LUCENT: Durable UC Control With Mirikizumab Through 4 Years, With Fernando Magro, MD, PhD

Long-term findings from the LUCENT clinical program continue to strengthen the case for mirikizumab (Omvoh) as a potential disease-modifying therapy in moderately-to-severely active UC. Data presented at the 21st Congress of ECCO demonstrate the p19-directed interleukin (IL)-23 monoclonal antibody’s sustained efficacy and safety through 212 weeks of continuous treatment across the LUCENT-1 (induction), LUCENT-2 (maintenance), and LUCENT-3 (open-label extension) trials.

How Head-to-Head SEQUENCE Data Shape Crohn’s Disease Treatment Decisions, With Raja Atreya, MD

New long-term data from the SEQUENCE program, presented at the the 21st Congress of ECCO, continue to reinforce the clinical impact of risankizumab (Skyrizi) in moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease, particularly among patients with prior anti-TNF failure. In discussing the findings, Raja Atreya, MD, head of the IBD Center at University Hospital of Erlangen, characterized SEQUENCE as a “landmark” trial and emphasized that its design and durability data are directly shaping real-world decision-making.

PROFUNDUS: Real-World Outcomes With Upadacitinib in Ulcerative Colitis, With Remo Panaccione, MD

New interim data from the ongoing PROFUNDUS study, presented at the 21st Congress of ECCO, provide important real-world insight into the effectiveness and safety of upadacitinib (Rinvoq) in patients with moderate-to-severe UC. While randomized controlled trials established the drug’s efficacy under tightly controlled conditions, the PROFUNDUS findings help clarify how those results translate into everyday clinical practice.

3-Year Efficacy, Safety of Mirikizumab in Crohn’s Disease: Insights From VIVID-2, With Edward Barnes, MD, MPH

Long-term durability remains one of the central questions in the management of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. While many advanced therapies demonstrate strong induction and shorter-term maintenance data, clinicians often grapple with whether those benefits persist and whether safety signals emerge with longer exposure.

New 3-year results from the ongoing VIVID-2 extension study offer important insight into the sustained efficacy and safety of mirikizumab, a selective IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody that earned US Food and Drug Administration approval for Crohn’s in January 2025 based on positive results from the phase 3 VIVID-1 study in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s who had an inadequate response, loss of response, or intolerance to corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and/or biologics.

AFFIRM: Risankizumab (Skyrizi) Subcutaneous Induction Achieves Primary Endpoints in Crohn’s Disease

On March 2, 2026, AbbVie announced positive topline results from the phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind AFFIRM study evaluating the efficacy and safety of risankizumab (Skyrizi) subcutaneous (SC) induction treatment versus placebo in adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD). Study findings showed significantly greater proportions of patients treated with risankizumab SC induction achieved the co-primary endpoints of Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) clinical remission and endoscopic response at week 12 compared to placebo. Of note, among patients with clinical response after 12 weeks of risankizumab SC induction treatment followed by 12 weeks of maintenance, 67% achieved CDAI clinical remission at week 24 and 57% achieved endoscopic response at week 24.

Related: Risankizumab Subcutaneous Induction for Crohn’s Disease: Insights From the AFFIRM Trial, With Millie Long, MD, MPH