Welcome to the Gastroenterology Newsroom
To read more about Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine’s progress and accomplishments in other disease areas, please explore more of the areas we focus on.
At Johnson & Johnson, we remain steadfast in our commitment to address unmet need, uncover novel treatment approaches, and work collaboratively to deliver transformational therapies for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like CD and UC.
We understand that significant unmet need remains in these conditions, and that many patients around the world are struggling to find the right treatment, maintain symptom relief and achieve remission. These patients are the motivating force that drives us to continue to pioneer research and achieve our vision to restore health for all patients with GI diseases.
About Crohn’s Disease
CD is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, which affects an estimated three million Americans.1 CD is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract with no known cause, but the disease is associated with abnormalities of the immune system that could be triggered by a genetic predisposition, diet or other environmental factors.2 Symptoms of CD can vary but often include abdominal pain and tenderness, frequent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss and fever.3 There is currently no cure for CD.4
About Ulcerative Colitis
More than five million people worldwide are living with CD and UC—commonly known as inflammatory bowel disease. UC affects nearly 907,000 people in the U.S., with approximately 38,000 new cases diagnosed each year.5 UC is a chronic disease of the large intestine, also known as the colon, in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores, or ulcers, that produce pus and mucus. It is the result of an abnormal response by the body’s immune system.6 Symptoms vary but may include loose and more urgent bowel movements, persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stool, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue.7
Driven by a relentless focus on patient unmet need, we will redefine treatments for immune diseases by delivering transformational and accessible therapies and regimens to patients with autoimmune disease.
1 Overview of Crohn’s Disease. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-crohns-disease/overview
2 Causes of Crohn’s Disease. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-crohns-disease/causes
3 Signs and Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-crohns-disease/symptoms
4 Crohn’s disease - Symptoms and causes. (2020, October 13). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/symptoms-c...
5 The Facts About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/Upda...
6 What is Ulcerative Colitis? (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ulcerative-colitis
7 Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ulcerative-colitis/symptoms