Drug Shows Promise for Ulcerative Colitis

A drug called tofacitinib may help people with ulcerative colitis. As many as 700,000 Americans have this condition. It causes abdominal pain and diarrhea. About 1 in 5 people do not respond to current treatments. A study of the drug included 194 people. They were randomly assigned to get a dose of tofacitinib or a placebo. After 8 weeks, people taking tofacitinib had fewer symptoms. They also were more likely than people taking placebo to have their symptoms disappear. The drug works by reducing inflammation. The study was published in the August 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The Wall Street Journal wrote about it.