OVERVIEW

Modulating JAK Signaling in IBD is organized by Med-IQ.

Initial Release Date: August 30, 2019
Expiration Date: August 29, 2020

Target Audience:
This activity is intended for gastroenterologists.

Accreditation:
Med-IQ designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Overview:
Join expert faculty, Benjamin L. Cohen, MD, in this modular, interactive, digital activity, known as CME Select, as he discusses the role of JAK signaling in IBD. Dr. Cohen explains how current and investigational JAK inhibitors, also known as jakinibs, modulate the JAK signaling pathway. This activity also includes whiteboard-style mechanism of action videos to demonstrate JAK signaling in IBD and the clinical effects of differential selectivity of various JAK inhibitors.

Statement of Need:
IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), is a chronic, lifelong condition that requires continuous management. More than 1 million people in the United States are living with IBD, and as many as 70,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The incidence of IBD is highest among patients who are in their 20s to 40s, which is one of the most productive periods of life. Indeed, IBD has a substantial impact on patient quality of life and negatively affects school, work, and social situations. Although the exact cause of IBD is not known, the disease appears to be the result of an interaction between the immune system, environmental factors, and genetic predisposition.

There is currently no cure for either UC or CD, and patients require long-term medical therapy. Over the past decade, TNF-alpha and integrin inhibitors have emerged as a mainstay for managing those who fail to respond to conventional treatments. However, a substantial proportion of patients will experience primary non-response or secondary loss of response to these agents, prompting the need for additional therapeutic options with distinct mechanisms of action.

Current strategies have mainly focused on modulating extracellular proinflammatory cytokines, but more recent investigation has shifted focus to intracellular transducers of these signals. The JAK family has emerged as a leading target; of the more than 200 known cytokines, approximately 60 of them use the JAK pathway to communicate signals inside the cell. Because it is unclear which specific cytokines are responsible for driving the progression of various autoimmune diseases, including IBD, targeting the JAK family is a rational therapeutic approach with potentially broad applications.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants should be able to:
• Describe the clinical rationale for targeting JAK signaling in the treatment of IBD
• Incorporate clinical evidence on the safety and efficacy of JAK inhibitors into current and future treatment decisions for patients with UC and CD

Modules:
Unmet Needs in the Treatment of IBD
Time to complete: 7 minutes

JAK Signaling in IBD
Whiteboard Animation Video
Time to complete: 2 minutes

Clinical Effects of Differential Selectivity of Various JAK Inhibitors
Whiteboard Animation Video
Time to complete: 2 minutes

JAK Inhibitors for the Treatment of UC
Time to complete: 15 minutes

JAK Inhibition and CD: Challenges and Opportunities
Time to complete: 10 minutes