India Pharma Outlook Team | Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Teva Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi today reported positive 44-week data for duvakitug, an investigational TL1A-targeted antibody, showing durable clinical and endoscopic benefits in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD).
The long-term extension of the RELIEVE UCCD study confirms that duvakitug maintains safety and effectiveness in patients who initially responded to induction therapy.
This double-blind study builds on earlier RELIEVE UCCD Phase 2b findings, where duvakitug delivered meaningful clinical responses compared to placebo at week 14. “One of the persistent challenges … sustaining it,” said Eric Hughes, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Medical Officer at Teva. He added that these results support TL1A as a compelling target and strengthen the case for duvakitug as a potential best?in?class therapy, with further indications expected this year.
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The maintenance phase enrolled 130 patients who responded to induction with duvakitug. They were re-randomized to receive 450 mg or 900 mg subcutaneous doses every four weeks, up to 58 weeks of exposure.
For UC, 58% of patients on 900 mg and 47% on 450 mg achieved clinical remission per the modified Mayo score. In CD, 55% (900 mg) and 41% (450 mg) achieved endoscopic response by SES-CD criteria. Benefits were consistent across additional efficacy measures in both diseases.
Both doses were well tolerated. The most common adverse events (≥5%) included upper respiratory infections, nasopharyngitis, Crohn’s disease, and hypertension, mirroring earlier study findings. Detailed results will be shared at an upcoming medical meeting.
“These results reinforce duvakitug’s potential … in patients living with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease,” said Houman Ashrafian, Sanofi’s Head of R&D. Phase 3 studies are currently underway, moving this therapy closer to patients in need.
