Congress of ECCO 2026: Key Clinical Trial Updates Shaping the Future of IBD Care

Patients with Crohn’s disease maintain steroid‑free remission for three years on Lilly’s Omvoh

Eli Lilly has reported new long‑term data showing that Omvoh (mirikizumab) can sustain steroid‑free remission for up to three years in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease.

Three‑year remission and urgency control in VIVID‑2

VIVID‑2 followed patients who had achieved an endoscopic response after one year of treatment with Omvoh in the pivotal VIVID‑1 trial. Among this responder population, the vast majority maintained both clinical and steroid‑free remission through 152 weeks of continuous therapy, alongside sustained improvements in bowel urgency. At three years, 92.4% of patients remained in clinical remission, while 91.2% were in corticosteroid‑free clinical remission. Improvements in urgency were also durable, with a large proportion achieving both a meaningful reduction in Urgency Numeric Rating Scale (UNRS) score and maintaining low absolute urgency scores.

In addition to symptom measures, the long‑term data showed continued improvement in inflammatory biomarkers, including C‑reactive protein and fecal calprotectin, through Year 3. These biomarker trends support the clinical findings and point toward ongoing control of underlying intestinal inflammation in patients who stay on mirikizumab.

Low surgery and hospitalization rates across Crohn’s and UC

Lilly also highlighted new analyses from the broader Omvoh clinical program, including the VIVID‑1 Crohn’s disease study and the LUCENT‑3 long‑term extension in ulcerative colitis. Across both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, Omvoh‑treated patients experienced very low rates of IBD‑related surgery and hospitalizations over extended follow‑up. These observations suggest that sustained disease control with mirikizumab may translate into fewer major complications and healthcare resource use, supporting the concept of disease‑trajectory modification in inflammatory bowel disease.

Omvoh (mirikizumab) mechanism of action

Omvoh is a monoclonal antibody targeting the p19 subunit of interleukin‑23 (IL‑23), a key cytokine driving chronic gut inflammation. The Crohn’s disease regimen used in VIVID‑1 and VIVID‑2 consists of an intravenous induction phase followed by a fixed 300 mg subcutaneous maintenance dose administered once every four weeks.

Lilly now positions Omvoh as the only IL‑23p19 inhibitor with robust, multi‑year efficacy data in both major forms of IBD: up to four years in ulcerative colitis and three years in Crohn’s disease, all with a simple and consistent monthly maintenance schedule.

Implications for IBD practice

For gastroenterologists, the VIVID‑2 results reinforce mirikizumab as a long‑term maintenance option for patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease who respond to induction therapy and require durable, steroid‑sparing control.

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Entyvio Achieves Phase 3 Success in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis: 47% Clinical Remission at 1 Year

New data from Takeda’s pivotal Phase 3 KEPLER study show vedolizumab IV (Entyvio) provides clinically meaningful remission rates in pediatric patients ages 2 to 17 with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who did not adequately respond to steroids, immunomodulators, or TNF inhibitors.

What is the design and results of KEPLER Study?

The global, multicenter KEPLER trial enrolled 120 children and adolescents. All received open‑label vedolizumab IV induction for 14 weeks. Clinical responders (n=93) were then randomized to low‑dose or high‑dose maintenance every 8 weeks through Week 54.

Primary endpoint results:

• Week 54 clinical remission: 47.3% (vs. placebo in adult trials)

• Week 14 clinical remission: 34.7%

• Sustained remission (Week 14 + 54): 29.0%

Mechanism and Current Approvals

Vedolizumab selectively targets the α4β7 integrin expressed on gut‑homing T cells, preventing interaction with endothelial MAdCAM‑1 to reduce intestinal inflammation without broad systemic immunosuppression.

Approved in adults for moderately to severely active UC and Crohn’s disease across IV and subcutaneous formulations in 80+ countries (including U.S., EU), vedolizumab now demonstrates feasibility down to age 2.

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Tremfya (guselkumab) Delivers 81% Clinical Remission in Ulcerative Colitis

New analyses from Janssen’s QUASAR long-term extension study demonstrate guselkumab maintains disease control for three years in adults with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis.

QUASAR Study Overview

The QUASAR Phase 2/3 program evaluated subcutaneous guselkumab in biologic‑naïve and experienced patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. Patients achieving clinical response after induction entered the open‑label long‑term extension, receiving fixed 100 mg doses every 8 weeks.

Week 140 Efficacy Highlights (Long-term data) of Tremfya in patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Endpoint	Result
Clinical remission	80.8%
Histo-endoscopic mucosal improvement	78.6%
Endoscopic remission	53.6%

Guselkumab selectively blocks IL‑23 while binding CD64 on antigen‑presenting cells (in vitro mechanism). This dual approach targets the cytokine central to chronic intestinal inflammation.