3 Innovations Revolutionizing IBD Treatment 

Keck Medicine of USC gastroenterologist Florence-Damilola (Damie) Odufalu, MD, shares how recent advances in inflammatory bowel disease treatment are changing the lives of patients. 

Florence-Damilola (Damie) Odufalu, MD, is a gastroenterologist with the USC Digestive Health Institute, part of Keck Medicine of USC, who specializes in inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Odufalu treats patients at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital as well as at Keck Medicine’s newest Pasadena location at 590 S. Fair Oaks Ave. 

In the last several years, there’s been a massive surge in the treatment landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The many treatments now approved and commercially available to patients show highly promising data for both safety and efficacy.  

As a provider, I’m thrilled by these developments. Knowing what they bring to IBD patients across the board, and how patients’ quality of life can be improved, makes this a really exciting time to be an IBD specialist.  

Many of us can only imagine how patients are feeling now that they’re able to find previously unheard-of levels of relief — without many of the complications and side effects they have faced before.  

Anti-interleukins: Targeting the problem without immunosuppression 

Anti-interleukins (anti-IL) therapies, usually monoclonal antibodies, work by binding to specific pro-inflammatory cytokines called interleukins or their receptors. This action prevents immune cells from releasing inflammatory signals, thus reducing chronic inflammation in autoimmune conditions — without suppressing the entire immune system. 

The data for anti-interleukin 23 (anti-IL-23) in particular is extremely promising, especially for IBD patients who have never been exposed to any advanced therapies or for IBD patients who have had no success with other therapies.  

Anti-interleukins are available via IV infusion plus a subcutaneous injection, or even as a subcutaneous injection as a launchpad for treatment. 

S1P and JAK inhibitors: Advanced therapy in pill form 

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators and janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are a welcome new option for patients who are needle-phobic or who don’t want to undergo infusions or self-injectable medications. Available in pill form, these medications are ideal for moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease. 

JAK inhibitors, in particular, are the newest mechanisms of therapy available for IBD. One JAK inhibitor, upadacitinib, is the first and only available oral advanced therapy for Crohn’s disease. 

Sometimes providers are hesitant to use this mechanism due to possible side effects associated with cardiac-related risk factors, but with careful patient selection and monitoring, patients who are a good fit for this type of drug can often go into IBD remission. 

Intestinal ultrasound: Reducing the need for colonoscopies 

The USC Digestive Health Institute and Keck Medicine are spearheading a new imaging modality that uses ultrasound to track inflammation in the GI tract, including the stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum. 

The procedure is done in-office, requires no fasting or bowel prep and can be done on the spot. Even better, patients don’t have to drink a bowel preparatory solution as they would for a CT scan, MRI or colonoscopy.  

Currently, I’m the only Keck Medicine provider who offers this treatment. I encourage patients and their providers to learn more about it, as it allows patients to get some relief from all the colonoscopies they would otherwise need to undergo. While it doesn’t take the place of colonoscopy for colon cancer screenings, it’s a giant leap forward for IBD monitoring. 

These are just a few examples of what has become available in recent years in IBD treatment. There are far more innovations currently being researched and tested in clinical trials. With so many new treatments to offer, it gives me hope that we can help more and more patients live healthy lives and achieve whatever they’re capable of. 

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