The Pharma Closeout's UEG Week 2026 Debrief covers the readouts from United European Gastroenterology Week in Barcelona that matter for drug, device and payer strategy. Takeda's VERDICT, the first randomized treat-to-target strategy trial in ulcerative colitis, and the new STRIDE-III guidance sharpen what IBD treatment should aim at, and what that means for how therapies win switches. Then the orals (Abivax's obefazimod ahead of its NDA, Gilead's emvistegrast dose curve, J&J's icotrokinra), the TL1A race with Teva and Sanofi's first 44-week duvakitug data, the incumbents' franchise defense from AbbVie and J&J, Tremfya at week 48 in Crohn's with fistulas, and a gastroparesis drug heading to Phase 3. Plus what to watch: AbbVie's October 30 results, AASLD from November 5 and the November 27 PBC decision.
0:00 Cold open and introduction
0:50 Story of the Congress: the target, not the molecule (Takeda's VERDICT, STRIDE-III, PROFILE)
5:06 The orals: obefazimod, emvistegrast, icotrokinra and OD-001
8:38 The TL1A race: Teva and Sanofi's duvakitug
10:01 Franchise defense: AbbVie, J&J, Spyre and the biosimilar squeeze
13:26 The IL-23 incumbents: Tremfya in fistulizing Crohn's, Skyrizi's subcutaneous induction
15:26 Beyond IBD: gastroparesis, EoE and the liver
17:27 What to watch: AbbVie's results, AASLD and the PBC decision
Alex Mercer and Maya Patel host. Get the daily rundown in your inbox — subscribe at https://thepharmacloseout.com.
