North Chicago, Ill. – AbbVie announced Tuesday that it will present 22 scientific abstracts from its inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) portfolio at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 9‑14. The abstracts highlight new Phase 3 AFFIRM data for SKYRIZI® (risankizumab‑rzaa) and real‑world evidence for RINVOQ® (upadacitinib) in patients with advanced Crohn’s disease.
SKYRIZI Shows Strong Clinical and Endoscopic Response
The AFFIRM trial evaluated subcutaneous SKYRIZI versus placebo in therapy‑naïve adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease. Across all efficacy endpoints—including clinical remission, endoscopic response, and mucosal healing—SKYRIZI demonstrated higher response rates than placebo. Subgroup analyses showed consistent benefits regardless of disease severity, prior treatment exposure, or demographic factors.
Long‑Term Benefits Confirmed in Extension Studies
Open‑label extension data presented at the meeting indicate that patients who continued SKYRIZI maintained endoscopic improvement over multiple years. Even participants with complex disease characteristics—such as stricturing disease, fistulizing disease, or prior biologic failure—experienced sustained mucosal healing and reduced disease activity.
RINVOQ Provides Disease Control for Difficult‑to‑Treat Patients
Real‑world studies shared by AbbVie investigators showed that patients with advanced Crohn’s disease who had exhausted other therapeutic options achieved meaningful disease control with RINVOQ. The oral JAK inhibitor demonstrated reductions in clinical symptoms and improvements in quality‑of‑life measures, underscoring its potential as a valuable option for patients who need additional treatment choices.
AbbVie’s Commitment to IBD Care
“People living with IBD want treatments that meaningfully reduce the burden of their disease,” said Ryan DeMasi, M.D., vice president of global medical affairs, immunology, AbbVie. “Our presence at ACG reflects AbbVie’s drive, as a leader in IBD, to provide what matters most to patients — therapies that perform over time and against the most complicated drivers of disease.”
About SKYRIZI
SKYRIZI is an interleukin‑23 (IL‑23) inhibitor that blocks the p19 subunit of IL‑23, a cytokine involved in inflammatory pathways. The drug is FDA‑approved for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. In April 2026, AbbVie submitted an application to the FDA seeking approval of subcutaneous SKYRIZI induction for adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease.
About RINVOQ
RINVOQ is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor discovered and developed by AbbVie scientists. It is being studied across several immune‑mediated inflammatory diseases, including Crohn’s disease, where it has shown promise in patients with advanced, treatment‑refractory disease.
Safety Information
Both SKYRIZI and RINVOQ carry important safety considerations. SKYRIZI may increase the risk of serious infections, including tuberculosis, and can cause allergic reactions, liver enzyme elevations, and other adverse events. RINVOQ shares class‑related warnings for infections, blood clots, and cardiovascular events. Healthcare providers are advised to screen patients for infections and monitor for adverse effects throughout treatment.
Conference Details
The ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting runs Oct. 9‑14 in Nashville, Tennessee. AbbVie’s oral and poster presentations are listed on the conference agenda, which is available on the ACG website.
For more information about AbbVie’s IBD research, visit the company’s website or contact the AbbVie medical affairs team.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
