EU Okays Expanded Use Of Janssen's STELARA

(RTTNews) - Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies said that the European Commission has approved the expanded use of ustekinumab for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis or UC, who have had an inadequate response with, lost response to, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a biologic or have medical contraindications to such therapies.

Ustekinumab is the first available biologic treatment to selectively target the IL-12/IL-23 pathway, an important therapeutic target in UC.

ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the large intestine, also known as the colon, in which the lining becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores, or ulcers, that produce pus and mucous. UC is the result of an abnormal response by the body's immune system. Symptoms vary, but may include loose and more urgent bowel movements, persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloody stools, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue.