The American College of Gastroenterology held its annual meeting last month in Charlotte, N.C. David Johnson, MD, a professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, highlighted 11 key takeaways from the meeting to Medscape.
1. A new medication, upadacitinib, that relieves ulcerative colitis may prove to have beneficial results.
2. Virtual reality may be effective in treating functional dyspepsia.
3. High-quality colonoscopy exams continue to be critical for detecting polyps.
4. Genetic counseling is needed in cases of young-onset colon cancer.
5. Two studies were presented on dupilumab, a newly approved treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis.
6. A study on acid blocker vonoprazan found on-demand use may be more effective than daily use for patients with reflux disease.
7. An inflammatory bowel medication, risankizumab, showed positive outcomes, but more investigation is needed.
8. No complications have been found from taking two inflammatory bowel disease drugs, vedolizumab and ustekinumab, during pregnancy.
9. Monoclonal therapy treatment rituximab may cause GI side effects.
10. Two studies related to C. difficile showed potential treatment options.
11. Mayo Clinic Rochester (Minn.) developed several medications that could reduce bile acid for patients with microscopic colitis.