Evidence-Based Medications for the Treatment of IBD
Purpose of Review: Evidence-based medicine is an increasingly important tool to aid the clinician in the treatment of patients. This is particularly true for diseases such as the inflammatory bowel diseases, for which the pathogenesis is unknown and an extensive range of treatment options is available. High quality data may not be available for all decisions, but it is essential that clinicians are aware of well-grounded data that are available.
Recent Findings: The body of data supporting the use of biological therapies in inflammatory bowel disease continues to grow and diversify. Regulatory requirements and academic expectations are evolutionary forces that are resulting in continuous improvement in the quality of studies.
Summary: This review will update the reader on several significant analyses that have been published recently. It is intended to raise awareness of the data, helping clinicians to evaluate new treatments and to revisit older treatments with a critical eye.

Although we do not yet understand the pathogenesis of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), ongoing research into their underlying mechanisms has allowed the development of several therapeutic modalities. This is an evolving process, with great potential for the future management of these diseases. The hope is that we will eventually be able to prevent and cure these conditions. Nonetheless, we will have to approach a full understanding of these diseases before this can be attained. In the meantime, our goal is to identify safe and well tolerated agents that are able to rapidly control symptomatic flares and can maintain remission.