Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colon, causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping, and fatigue, significantly impacting patients’ daily lives. While there is currently no cure, recent research is providing hope for longer-lasting disease control.

Results from the LUCENT-3 study, presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week, reveal that many patients who achieved clinical remission after one year of treatment with mirikizumab (Omvoh) continued to experience remission for up to four years. Participants also reported improvements in bowel urgency, a symptom that can severely disrupt everyday activities.

In 2023, researchers estimated that about 5 million people worldwide were living with ulcerative colitis. Not all patients respond to existing therapies, and even those who do often risk losing response over time.

“Despite considerable progress in the past five years, the majority of patients do not achieve lasting clinical remission,” said Dr. Bruce Sands, leading clinical investigator of LUCENT-3 and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai. “This is particularly concerning for patients who have already failed other therapies, such as TNF inhibitors.”

Mirikizumab works by targeting interleukin-23 (IL-23), a protein that drives inflammation in ulcerative colitis. By blocking IL-23, the drug reduces inflammation and allows the bowel lining to heal, alleviating symptoms. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Omvoh in 2023 for adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

The LUCENT-3 trial is an extension of the original LUCENT-1 and LUCENT-2 studies, following participants for a total of four years. 

Among those who achieved clinical remission after one year, a substantial majority maintained corticosteroid-free, long-term remission. They also saw marked reductions in bowel urgency, with many achieving minimal or nearly absent urgency, and the majority maintained endoscopic remission, indicating that the lining of the bowel had healed.

Dr. Sands emphasized that these findings demonstrate the durability of mirikizumab, giving patients and physicians confidence in its long-term efficacy.

Experts highlight the importance of long-term studies for chronic conditions like ulcerative colitis. Dr. Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan of Harvard Medical School noted that while most trials report outcomes for only one year, understanding how treatments perform over several years is crucial. Similarly, Dr. Rudolph Bedford, gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, explained that because ulcerative colitis often begins in early adulthood, patients require therapies that remain effective for decades. Long-term data provide reassurance regarding both efficacy and safety, helping patients manage the disease over a lifetime.

Despite these advances, many patients either fail to respond to current treatments or lose response over time, highlighting the continued need for innovative therapies. 

With most people diagnosed in their 20s and 30s and living with the disease for decades, long-term management remains a critical challenge. The LUCENT-3 findings offer a promising step forward, demonstrating that mirikizumab can provide durable relief, improved symptom control, and long-term bowel healing for adults living with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.