MHRA approves Tremfya for Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Tremfya (guselkumab) (Tremfya) to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).

The approval was granted   to Janssen-Cilag, the UK subsidiary of US pharma giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: J&J).
Guselkumab is currently approved to treat plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, clinical studies have shown that guselkumab is also efficacious in treating adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and UC who have not responded well to other treatments or experienced unacceptable side effects, the Agency noted.

Using guselkumab in Crohn’s disease can benefit patients by reducing the signs and symptoms of the disease, which can include diarrhea and abdominal pain. In UC it helps to reduce abdominal pain and inflammation of the intestinal lining. These effects can improve a patient’s ability to do normal daily activities and reduce fatigue.