
It's a massive disappointment for drugmaker Galapagos -- and bowel disease sufferers everywhere.
In a major disappointment for Belgian biotech group Galapagos, the experimental drug it was developing to treat the bowel disease ulcerative colitis failed a test, and will be canned.
The drug, GLPG1205, failed to prove efficacy in a medical trial, although it was well tolerated. As a result, Galapagos announced it would discontinue the development of it, according to a Reuters report.
Basically, patients given the drug didn’t perform any better than the control group that was given a placebo. So despite there not being any unsafe side effects, there just isn’t any evidence that the drug works for what it would be prescribed for, according to the report.
Going forward, Galapagos announced it would evaluate whether there is some alternative use for GLPG1205.
It certainly is a disappointing result for sufferers of ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease that results in inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. It attacks the innermost lining of the colon and rectum, and symptoms develop gradually.
It’s more than just a discomforting illness — it can be life threatening if certain complications arise. There isn’t any known cure for it, but treatments are available to reduce its severity.
Symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, rectal pain and bleeding, a sudden need to defecat, weight loss and fatigue, and fever. It can also stunt a child’s growth.
You should see a doctor if you feel abdominal pain, you find blood in your stool, or if diarrhea lasts for a while and doesn’t respond to medication. Also, be on the lookout for a fever that lasts more than a couple days. The disease usually isn’t fatal, but prompt treatment is key.
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