Ulcerative colitis: compare the treatment setting before comparing remission

Published: 2026-09-23
Series: Biotech Pipeline

This account follows seven compounds in moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Companies

ABVX
MRK
TEVA
SNY
ABBV
LLY
PFE

Article body

This account follows seven compounds in moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. It combines four approved therapies with three investigational programs, across company sizes. Disclosures are covered through September 22, 2026; registry snapshots were collected September 23 UTC. The sample is selective and does not include every established or emerging UC treatment.

## [Obefazimod](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-obefazimod-overview)

Mechanism and position: Oral miR-124 enhancer; investigational.

Selected evidence design: ABTECT: eight-week placebo-controlled induction; separate week-44 maintenance remission assessment.

What remains important: Sponsor-reported Phase 3 findings; planned application remains distinct from submission and approval.

## [Tulisokibart](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-tulisokibart-overview)

Mechanism and position: Anti-TL1A antibody; investigational.

Selected evidence design: ATLAS-UC: week-12 induction, separate induction/maintenance Study 1 with week-52 remission.

What remains important: June 2026 induction-only topline is available; detailed and remaining maintenance evidence are separate milestones.

## [Duvakitug](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-duvakitug-overview)

Mechanism and position: Anti-TL1A antibody; investigational.

Selected evidence design: RELIEVE: 14-week induction followed by 44-week responder maintenance; Phase 3 underway.

What remains important: Active-regimen maintenance results do not substitute for a Phase 3 placebo comparison.

## [Upadacitinib](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-upadacitinib-overview)

Mechanism and position: Oral JAK inhibitor; approved.

Selected evidence design: Selected program: eight-week induction and week-52 maintenance.

What remains important: US treatment-line restrictions and boxed warnings are central to clinical positioning.

## [Mirikizumab](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-mirikizumab-overview)

Mechanism and position: IL-23 antibody; approved.

Selected evidence design: LUCENT: 12-week induction, then 40-week maintenance in induction responders.

What remains important: IV induction and SC maintenance; preserve the selected responder denominator.

## [Risankizumab](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-risankizumab-overview)

Mechanism and position: IL-23 antibody; approved.

Selected evidence design: Twelve-week induction and week-52 maintenance, with longer follow-up.

What remains important: Induction and maintenance evidence, prior treatment and extended safety follow-up remain distinct.

## [Etrasimod](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-etrasimod-overview)

Mechanism and position: Oral S1P receptor modulator; approved.

Selected evidence design: ELEVATE UC 52: remission at weeks 12 and 52 in a treat-through design.

What remains important: A week-52 treat-through result is not directly comparable with responder-enriched maintenance.

Each overview links the underlying trial, regulatory or sponsor sources. Clinical remission combines symptom and endoscopic measures, but the exact definition and assessment time vary. Prior biologic or other advanced-therapy exposure can also change the population. These differences prevent a defensible winner from being selected by placing reported remission percentages side by side.

Mechanism provides a useful organizing principle. Tulisokibart and duvakitug are competing TL1A approaches with distinct programs, owners and readout schedules. Mirikizumab and risankizumab provide approved IL-23 reference points. Oral obefazimod, upadacitinib and etrasimod have different mechanisms and evidence, so an oral route does not make them interchangeable.

For approved products, regulatory review has established benefit in specified populations; the applicable label governs warnings and use. For the investigational group, sponsor reports are evidence to examine, not regulatory endorsement. Infection risks, serious adverse events, discontinuation and exposure duration require the original label or study report. An absence of new concerns in a topline release is not proof that rare or long-term risks have been excluded.

The funding structures are also informative. Abivax's reported cash use and subsequent offering belong beside its filing plan. Merck acquired Prometheus and funds tulisokibart within a larger group. Duvakitug has an explicit Teva–Sanofi division of development costs and commercial responsibilities. The approved programs sit inside diversified owners. Company resources (below) and partnership history (below) explain that backing without assigning corporate cash or an acquisition's full value to one compound.

The next useful comparison should follow a material change: detailed Phase 3 evidence, an actual regulatory submission or decision, a consequential safety finding, or a partnership that changes responsibilities. Routine registry edits do not by themselves warrant another article.

## Company and partnership context

The compound accounts describe each developer’s reported financial resources and relevant ownership or partnership agreements. Corporate balances are not dedicated compound budgets; financing after a reporting date is distinguished from the reported balance.

[Obefazimod](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-obefazimod-overview). [Tulisokibart](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-tulisokibart-overview). [Duvakitug](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-duvakitug-overview). [Upadacitinib](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-upadacitinib-overview). [Mirikizumab](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-mirikizumab-overview). [Risankizumab](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-risankizumab-overview). [Etrasimod](https://tip.inventingindices.com/marketbrain-2026-09-23-biotech-etrasimod-overview).

## About this account

Published September 23, 2026. Company and regulatory disclosures are covered through September 22; trial-registry records were retrieved September 23. Earlier developments are reconstructed from dated primary sources. Registry status, sponsor-reported results and regulatory decisions are distinguished in the account. Company figures retain their reporting periods; corporate cash is not a compound-specific funding commitment.

Citations

citations[27]{marker,ticker,item,date,accession,source}:
  1,"","https://ir.abivax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/abivax-presents-business-updates-and-first-half-2026-financial/",2026-09-21,"",biotech_sponsor
  2,"","https://www.abivax.com/science/obefazimod/",null,"",biotech_sponsor
  3,"","https://ir.abivax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/abivax-announces-landmark-phase-3-abtect-maintenance-trial",2026-06-01,"",biotech_sponsor
  4,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05507203",2026-09-10,"",biotech_registry
  5,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05507216",2026-09-10,"",biotech_registry
  6,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05535946",2026-07-07,"",biotech_registry
  7,"","https://www.merck.com/news/mercks-tulisokibart-met-primary-and-key-secondary-endpoints-in-the-phase-3-atlas-uc-induction-only-study-in-patients-with-moderately-to-severely-active-ulcerative-colitis-uc/",2026-06-22,"",biotech_sponsor
  8,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06052059",2026-03-13,"",biotech_registry
  9,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04996797",2026-09-01,"",biotech_registry
  10,"","https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2026/2026-02-17-11-00-00-3239014",2026-02-17,"",biotech_sponsor
  11,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07184996",2026-08-20,"",biotech_registry
  12,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07185009",2026-09-15,"",biotech_registry
  13,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05499130",2026-03-27,"",biotech_registry
  14,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05668013",2026-08-07,"",biotech_registry
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  17,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02819635",2022-06-30,"",biotech_registry
  18,"","https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-trials-snapshots-omvoh",null,"",biotech_regulator
  19,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03518086",2025-05-31,"",biotech_registry
  20,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03524092",2026-05-13,"",biotech_registry
  21,"","https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/appletter/2024/761105Orig1s029%3B761262Orig1s007ltr.pdf",null,"",biotech_regulator
  22,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03398148",2025-01-16,"",biotech_registry
  23,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03398135",2026-01-20,"",biotech_registry
  24,"","https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11264075",2024-07-22,"",biotech_paper
  25,"","https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-trials-snapshots/drug-trials-snapshots-velsipity",null,"",biotech_regulator
  26,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03945188",2022-12-20,"",biotech_registry
  27,"","https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03996369",2022-12-21,"",biotech_registry

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