DDW 2026 highlighted a broader shift in GI therapeutics—from symptom control toward disease modification and long-term durability. New data presented across EoE, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBS pointed to therapies that may alter underlying disease biology rather than simply manage flares or symptoms.
Among the notable updates, dupilumab showed potential to improve esophageal remodeling in eosinophilic esophagitis, while early IBS data suggested varenicline may open a new mechanistic pathway for symptom management. Long-term studies of IL-23 inhibitors including risankizumab, guselkumab, and mirikizumab also reinforced the growing role of pathway-specific biologics in sustaining remission and treating more difficult disease phenotypes such as fistulizing Crohn’s disease.