"Early Intervention with Overlooked Drug Shows Dramatic Improvements in Crohn's Disease Outcomes"
A large-scale clinical trial has shown that early treatment with the drug infliximab for Crohn’s disease can drastically improve outcomes, reducing the need for urgent abdominal surgery by tenfold. The research involved 386 patients and found that immediate use of infliximab after diagnosis led to 80% of patients having symptoms and inflammatory markers controlled throughout the year, compared to only 15% with the usual UK treatment plan. Patients receiving infliximab also had higher quality of life scores, less use of steroid medication, and lower hospitalizations, with a significantly lower risk of urgent surgery. The drug, previously overlooked due to cost and side effects, has become more affordable and well tolerated, offering a new treatment path for Crohn’s patients.