ozanimod for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis

Last edited 11/2022 and last reviewed 05/2023

• is a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator originally approved to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis
• binds with high affinity to S1PR1 and S1PR5
• mechanism of action by which ozanimod produces its therapeutic effects in ulcerative colitis is currently unknown, it may be associated with the ozanimod-induced reduction of lymphocyte migration into the intestine (1)

NICE state:

• Ozanimod is recommended as an option for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults, only if:
  • conventional treatment cannot be tolerated or is not working well enough and infliximab is not suitable, or
  • biological treatment cannot be tolerated or is not working well enough, and
  • the company provides it according to the commercial arrangement
• the NICE committee commented
  • "..Clinical trial evidence shows that ozanimod is more effective than placebo for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. There is no direct evidence comparing ozanimod with standard treatments that are offered after conventional treatment, but indirect comparisons suggest that it is likely to be as effective as some of them.."

Reference:

• Paik J. Ozanimod: A Review in Ulcerative Colitis. Drugs. 2022 Aug;82(12):1303-1313.
• NICE (October 2022).Ozanimod for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis