The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved an Eli Lilly drug that takes a new approach to treating ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause intense gastrointestinal pain and distress.
The therapy, dubbed Omvoh, is an antibody that blocks IL-23p19, an immune signaling molecule that plays a key role in sustaining the disease. It’s the first treatment to target this particular pathway in ulcerative colitis. The drug’s approval comes after two late-stage trials found that patients taking Omvoh showed a significant improvement in symptoms after both three months and a year compared with those given a placebo, and that the therapy had minimal side effects.
advertisement
Omvoh’s list price will be $9,593 per month for intravenous delivery and $10,360 per dose injected beneath the skin. A company spokesperson told STAT that patients who have the drug covered by commercial insurance may pay as little as $5 per month for up to 30 months.
Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.
Subscribe Log In
Previous article：
How should state employee insurance handle Wegovy?
Next article： Hollywood unions extend contract negotiations for actors
Next article： Hollywood unions extend contract negotiations for actors
