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The treatment of ulcerative colitis typically depends on how severe the disease is. For more mild symptoms and mild disease, we typically start with what’s called ASA or mesalamine agents that are oral pills to help decrease inflammation. For more significant disease, often we will have to escalate therapy to what we call biologics, which are suppressors of the immune system, which work on various immune targets. They are very effective and can be tailored to the patient. In acute scenarios where patients have the onset of very acute symptoms and severe symptoms, we can use rescue drugs. And typically those are in the form of steroids. These can be oral agents, or even given topically through enemas or suppositories. In very severe cases where patients are hospitalized or have very refractory disease, there is the alternative of surgery, including what’s called a colectomy where the entire colon is removed. This is a cure of the disease, and we will pursue this in patients who have very, very severe symptoms that are not responsive to medications.
