Two-Drug cocktail aims to tame stubborn Crohn's disease
NCT ID NCT07697547
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether combining two drugs—upadacitinib and ustekinumab—at lower doses can help people with Crohn's disease that hasn't improved with standard treatments. Participants are adults aged 18 to 65 who have already tried and failed other therapies. The goal is to see if the combination can bring the disease under control and reduce gut inflammation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- upadacitinib and ustekinumab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option for people with Crohn's disease who have not responded to other therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, retrospective study, not a large controlled trial, so results may not apply broadly. Combining two immune-suppressing drugs may increase infection risk.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
-
84 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jul 2023
- Finished
-
Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Adult patients with refractory Crohn's disease from multiple inflammatory bowel disease centers in China who had prior anti-TNF therapy failure, intolerance, or contraindication and inadequate response to ustekinumab or upadacitinib monotherapy. Eligible patients received low-dose upadacitinib in combination with ustekinumab in routine clinical practice between July 1, 2023 and May 31, 2025, and were included in this retrospective real-world cohort study.
- Ages
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 to 65 years. * Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Crohn's disease according to the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) criteria. * Patients with prior failure, loss of response, intolerance, or contraindication to anti-TNF therapy, who subsequently had inadequate response to ustekinumab or upadacitinib monotherapy between July 1, 2023 and May 31, 2025. * Active Crohn's disease defined by Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) \>4, or endoscopic disease activity with at least one segment having an SES-CD ulcer subscore ≥2. Postoperative endoscopic recurrence was defined as modified Rutgeerts score ≥i2b. For patients in whom the small bowel anastomosis could not be reached endoscopically, disease activity was assessed by the treating physician based on clinical symptoms, elevated inflammatory markers, and imaging findings. * Patients who required dose reduction during full-dose upadacitinib treatment because of adverse events, or who had persistent clinical symptoms, elevated C-reactive protein, active endoscopic disease, postoperative recurrence, or active disease on imaging despite upadacitinib treatment. * Patients with inadequate response or loss of response to ustekinumab treatment, defined by persistent clinical symptoms, elevated C-reactive protein, active endoscopic disease, postoperative recurrence, imaging evidence of active disease, or recurrence after initial response during maintenance therapy. * Availability of inflammatory markers and imaging results within 3 months before initiation of combination therapy. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients receiving upadacitinib in combination with biologics other than ustekinumab. * Patients receiving full-dose upadacitinib 45 mg/day in combination with ustekinumab. * Patients with contraindications to upadacitinib, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients, active tuberculosis or severe infection, malignancy, thromboembolic events, or severe hepatic impairment. * Patients with severe infection, malignancy, pregnancy, or lactation. * Patients with severe intestinal stricture, perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess that might require surgery and interruption of drug therapy during the study period. * Patients considered unsuitable for the above treatment by the treating physician. * Patients with incomplete data, inability to complete follow-up, or loss to follow-up.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Crohn's disease are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
The Tenth People's Hospital of Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 201505, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Feasibility of a minimally invasive diagnostic algorithm in suspected Crohn's disease - a prospective comparison of Pan-Enteric capsule endoscopy versus ileocolonoscopy plus MR enterography or Small-Bowel capsule endoscopy
- Can pressurized oxygen heal Crohn's fistulas when drugs fail?
- Can a drug plus surgery heal Crohn's fistulas for good?
- Do vegan yogurts and meat substitutes really boost your gut?
- Could a simple workout routine tame IBD symptoms?
- Could a new pill tame inflammatory bowel disease? early safety trial begins