Bringing innovative drugs for inflammatory bowel disease to patients

A UBC research team is accelerating the development of innovative new drugs for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) thanks to the support of a new grant from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

Dr. Sly, a professor in the department of pediatrics, along with fellow UBC professor Dr. Harry Brumer (Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemistry), received the $375,000 grant to translate a new gut drug delivery mechanism called “glycocage technology” into real world solutions. The technology coats drugs in a sugar “cage” that can only be broken down by bacteria living at the site inflammation — allowing for more precise delivery of IBD drugs.

One challenge with existing IBD drugs is that they need to circulate through the whole body in high doses to be effective. This can have significant negative side effects for patients.

The goal of this project is to develop a drug delivery system that allows for lower drug dosages, which will lessen side effects and make more drug options available. Prior research from the research teams has shown that the “cage” delivers the same treatment results at a 90 per cent reduced dosage rate.

“Long term, we hope that this technology can be applied to other IBD drugs so that they can be used safely and earlier in IBD treatment,” Dr. Sly said. “These are essential next steps in translating our glycocage technology to real world solutions for people with IBD. We’re really excited about the potential of this technology to improve the lives of people living with IBD.”

Over the past 50 years, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has invested $150 million into research and has funded nearly 400 research projects.

 

A version of this story was originally published by the UBC Faculty of Medicine.