JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
Patients with UC who fail both anti-TNF and JAK inhibitor therapies have limited options. This report suggests tacrolimus can be used as a short-term bridge or in combination to reach another maintenance drug, with many patients responding but a substantial colectomy rate.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adult patients with refractory ulcerative colitis; clinicians managing biologic- and JAK-refractory UC; researchers interested in salvage therapies or bridging strategies.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
The study describes tacrolimus given for a median of three months to bridge to or combine with other therapies (ustekinumab, ozanimod, upadacitinib). Six of seven patients had a clinical response; four reached clinical remission.
No serious adverse events were reported in the series but three patients underwent colectomy, reflecting severe refractory disease. The authors conclude tacrolimus may be useful in carefully selected patients but emphasize close monitoring and the need for larger prospective studies.
Keep In Mind
Small retrospective case series (n=7) reported in a gastroenterology journal; structured content depth: abstract. Findings are preliminary and the authors call for larger prospective studies.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationJGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
AuthorsNikil Vootukuru, Patrick Hilley, Darren Wong +3 more
InstitutionDepartment of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Austin Health Melbourne Australia.
Study typeJournal article
Indexed viaPubMed
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedAug 16, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
Conflict statement: D.W. has received speaking fees from Fresenius Kabi; A.S. has served as a speaker for Arrotex Pharmaceuticals and received research support and advisory fees from AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and DrFalk Pharma; P.D.C. is supported by an NHMRC Emerging Leader 2 Fellowship and has received research support from AbbVie, Ferring, Shire, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Sequential Biologic, Small-Molecule, and GLP-1 Analogue Therapy in Postcolectomy Enteritis With High Output Stoma.
People with ulcerative colitis who have had colectomy can rarely develop inflammation of the small intestine and high-output stomas that are hard to control.
Immunomodulators and advanced therapies for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease: systematic review and network meta-analysis.
A broad comparison of many maintenance therapies helps patients and clinicians understand which drugs have trial evidence for preventing relapse or loss of response in Crohn's disease. The review highlights adalimumab,...
DYNAMIC-UC: Early qFIT and Calprotectin Change Predicting Relapse in Biologic-Naive Ulcerative Colitis
Early changes in stool tests (qFIT and fecal calprotectin) might help predict which biologic‑naive ulcerative colitis patients will relapse or need escalation to biologic/JAK therapy. If validated, such markers could...