Colon Screening
A French doctor performs a colonoscopy on a patient at the Ambroise Pare hospital in Marseille. REUTERS

People suffering from moderate to severe ulcerative colitis can soon avail of the drug infliximab on the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme. Individuals who have this condition experience symptoms which include abdominal cramps, rectal urgency, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia caused by rectal bleeding.

In Australia, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming more widespread and severe. According to Crohn's & Colitis Australia, the disease affects approximately 1 in 250 people aged 5-40. Almost 75,000 Australians have IBD and the number is projected to increase to 100,000 by 2022. Generally, 80-90 percent of people with ulcerative colitis respond well to conventional treatment. However, for severe cases where inflammation has penetrated deeper into the walls of the colon, serious complications may develop and would need immediate medical attention.

Professor Paul Pavli, a gastroenterologist at Canberra Hospital and ANU medical school, says infliximab is a life-changing treatment for those whose ailment have had inadequate response to conventional therapy, steroids and immuno-suppressive drugs. "In the past, if the conventional therapies hadn't worked ... then people were looking at removal of the bowel so that would involve either having a bag on the abdomen or a pouch," he said. Surgical resection eliminates the symptoms of severe ulcerative colitis and the need for ongoing use of medications to control inflammation.

Infliximab blocks the action of TNF alpha, a substance produced by cells of the body that induces inflammation. By doing this, infliximab reduces the symptoms of inflammation and relieves the patients' condition. However, note that infliximab does not cure Crohn's disease. The drug is approved for use in younger patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. About 80 people in Canberra have been treated with the drug. Seventy-five percent of which were spared from undergoing bowel surgery. More stories on colitis sufferers were featured on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Infliximab used to cost $15,000 to $20,000 before the PBS listing on Dec. 1. With this, more individuals suffering from the bowel disease would be able to afford the medication and avoid resorting to surgical resection. This could greatly improve quality of life.