Gilead Sciences said on Monday its experimental once-daily pill emvistegrast reduced symptoms of a chronic bowel illness in more patients than placebo in a mid-stage trial.
Emvistegrast met its main goal in a mid-stage study of adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract.
The oral drug is designed to block the α4β7 integrin pathway, a target already validated in inflammatory bowel disease. After 12 weeks, 66% of patients on the 200 mg dose saw their disease symptoms improve, compared with 37% on placebo. Clinical remission rates were also higher, with 31% of patients on treatment achieving remission versus 8% in the placebo group.
The drug was generally well tolerated, with overall side-effect rates comparable between the treatment and placebo arms and no serious side effects linked to the study medication. BMO Capital Markets analysts called the data “an incremental positive for Gilead’s inflammatory strategy that establishes emvistegrast as a credible oral α4β7 option.” Based on the results, Gilead said it plans to start a late-stage monotherapy study of the pill in 2027.
About Emvistegrast
Emvistegrast (GS-1427) is an investigational oral α4β7 integrin inhibitor being developed for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The α4β7 pathway is a clinically validated target in IBD, and emvistegrast is part of Gilead’s broader effort to advance differentiated therapies for inflammatory diseases. Emvistegrast is not approved anywhere globally, and its safety and efficacy have not been established.
About the SWIFT Study
SWIFT is a Phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of emvistegrast in adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. The study was designed to assess the potential of emvistegrast to improve disease activity and clinically meaningful outcomes for people living with ulcerative colitis, while further characterizing its safety profile.