A practical approach to positioning therapies in ulcerative colitis.

Abstract

The therapeutic landscape of ulcerative colitis (UC) has undergone significant change over the last 2 decades. While there are multiple new therapies for the management of UC, long-term remission rates remain low, and this may be in part due to the difficulty of navigating a successful treatment strategy. In this review, we propose a rational framework for treatment selection, sequencing, and optimization in patients with UC. We outline treatment goals and targets for UC, followed by a discussion of the challenges in treatment selection and considerations to help guide a sequencing strategy. These include an assessment of a therapy's efficacy and safety, the convenience in the delivery of the therapy, ease of access, and patient-related factors. We then provide an overview of the currently approved therapies for UC, with an in-depth analysis of their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we conclude with future directions in the management of UC, which include the use of naturopathic therapies, faecal microbiota therapy, the use of precision medicine, and other strategies such as combination therapy.