The jointly-sponsored study, involving approximately 100 patients from four US centres, will start later this year and will run for two and a half years, providing additional validation and efficacy data for PredictImmune’s prognostic IBD test in the US market. The test is the first validated, biomarker-based prognostic test for IBD that predicts long-term disease outcome in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, enabling patients to be grouped based on their risk profile, informing clinical management and enabling clinicians to select the most appropriate treatment for the individual’s predicted disease course.
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improving the quality of life of those affected by these diseases. At the forefront of research into IBD, the Foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions and finances underdeveloped areas of research. In addition, the Foundation collaborates with healthcare providers to improve IBD quality of care, as well as educating, supporting, and empowering patients and their caregivers through patient-centric education and advocacy programmes.
Paul Kinnon, CEO, PredictImmune (pictured) commented on the collaboration: “We are delighted to be working with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation towards a common goal of improving disease outcomes and quality of life for patients with IBD in the US. Improving patient outcomes in immune-mediated diseases is at the heart of everything we do - working in collaboration with the Foundation’s extensive network of clinicians we now have the opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of our product in a clinical setting whilst at the same time having a direct, positive impact on the quality of outcomes for US patients.”
Caren Heller, MD, MBA, Chief Scientific Officer of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, noted: “The Foundation has a longstanding commitment to advancing precision medicine tools that could provide patients and clinicians with the tools needed to make optimal decisions regarding treatment. We envision a future where every IBD patient receives the right treatment at the right time. Predicting disease course is an important aspect of this effort and PredictImmune has made great progress in this regard; we are delighted to be working with this team to support research on this innovative potential diagnostic.”
Immune-mediated diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic and incurable with clinical courses that vary among individuals with the same disease. There is currently no way of knowing whether a patient is likely to experience a severe, relapsing form of the disease or have a more quiescent clinical outcome. As a consequence of this uncertainty, all patients are treated with the same “standard of care”, resulting in a significant proportion of patients being under or over treated. PredictImmune’s innovative prognostic products will identify patients with more aggressive disease, who may benefit from state-of-the-art (biologics) anti-inflammatory drugs.
For more information: www.predictimmune.com
About the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the largest non-profit, voluntary, health organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundation’s mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who are affected by these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research; providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public; and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org, call 888-694-8872, or email info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.