New Drug Proves Effective Against Crohn's Disease

An experimental drug that selectively tamps down part of the immune
system can offer dramatic relief to many victims of the painful
bowel disorder Crohn's disease, and might also work against
illnesses such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis, researchers say.

Other drugs are available against Crohn's, but their effectiveness
is spotty.

In the small, preliminary study, researchers at the National
Institutes of Health and elsewhere found weekly injections ABT-874
reduced symptoms in as many as three-quarters of patients, three
times as many as dummy injections.

"A lot of work has to be done, but it's very exciting," said Richard
MacDermott, director of Albany Medical Center and scientific
consultant to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

The drug's maker, Abbott Laboratories, has not yet decided whether
to conduct further tests and seek approval of the drug, spokesman
Jim Bozikis said.

The study, headed by Peter Mannon of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was reported in today's New England
Journal of Medicine.

-- From News Services