Arthritis Treatment Drug Eliminate Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms:

A new study finds that people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis who haven't done well on other treatments may find relief and eliminate Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms with Xeljanz (tofacitinib), a drug currently used for arthritis treatment. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It affects about 700,000 Americans, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (CCF).The illness causes inflammation, irritation, swelling and sores on the lining of the large intestine. Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms include diarrhea with blood or pus and abdominal discomfort, according to CCF."There is still a substantial unmet need for new treatments for patients with ulcerative colitis," said study lead author Dr. William Sandborn. He is professor of medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego.

This arthritis drug which eliminate Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms targets certain proteins involved in the body's inflammatory and immune responses that other so-called biologic drugs don't, the researchers said."Treatment with oral tofacitinib is potentially a new treatment option for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, pending review by the

The study was funded by Pfizer, Inc., the maker of arthritis treatment drug. Sandborn said he has received research grants from the company and served as a consultant for Pfizer.Whether arthritis treatment drug that eliminate Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms should be used as a first treatment is still not clear,