Next-Gen Colon Tattoo Ink; Etrasimod Wins for UC; Another NASH Drug Flops

Next-Gen Colon Tattoo Ink; Etrasimod Wins for UC; Another NASH Drug Flops

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A next-generation ink for endoscopic tattooing of the colon diffuses less and is more “biocompatible” than existing inks, which could help identify complex colonic polyps or tumors for removal. (American Chemical Society)

Positive topline data from a phase III study showed etrasimod, an investigational selective sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, achieved improvements in clinical remission for patients with moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis (UC), drugmaker Pfizer announced.

Aldafermin, an engineered analogue of the fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), was well tolerated by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients, but failed to produce a dose response in fibrosis improvement in a phase IIb trial. (The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

An investigational point-of-care test, the Rectal Expulsion Device (RED) predicted clinical response for patients with chronic constipation undergoing community-based pelvic floor physical therapy. (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

The number of people on a gluten-free diet could affect serum-based testing accuracy for diagnosing Crohn’s disease (CD), Australian researchers found. (Pathology)

Symptoms of common mental health disorders affected prognostic outcomes among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. (Gastroenterology)

Geneos Therapeutics said it will use its $17 million series A2 financing to expand phase Ib/IIa clinical trials for the company’s personalized cancer vaccine to treat patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

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    Zaina Hamza is a staff writer for MedPage Today, covering Gastroenterology and Infectious disease. She is based in Chicago.

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