For over two decades, AbbVie has been active in the global immunology field and has contributed to advances in patient care. Today, AbbVie's medicines treat more than 15 immune conditions including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while actively studying 35 others in clinical trials across 70 countries. This global commitment is important for Canada, which faces one of the highest IBD prevalences in the world¹ and where significant unmet need remains.

Through continued investment, we are dedicated to improving the lives of Canadian patients. Over the last decade, we have opened 18 IBD interventional clinical trials in the country, enrolling 644 patients across 32 sites. We are driving this momentum forward with state‑of‑the‑art comparative studies challenging the standard of care at multiple Canadian sites across the country. Notably, this commitment covers the full spectrum of care: we are partnering with specialized children's hospitals on 4 pivotal pediatric studies, ensuring our advancements reach the most vulnerable young patients.

But our commitment extends beyond controlled clinical environments. To understand the true impact of our therapies in daily practice, we further partnered with the Canadian IBD research community to enroll more than 300 patients across three major multi-country observational studies. This ensures that we generate robust, local data on how our treatments perform in the real world, not just in trials.

However, large-scale global studies, whether interventional or observational, do not answer every specific clinical question. To address the unique, day-to-day challenges identified by Canadian clinicians, we must go further. By supporting investigator-led research that addresses clinical gaps identified by Canadian leaders, we are moving beyond simply providing treatments to actively partnering on the niche, patient-centric solutions described below.

1. Breaking the cycle of surgery in Crohn’s disease. For patients with Crohn's disease, the risk of surgery is a significant concern. In Canada, one in three patients will require intestinal surgery within a decade of diagnosis, and more than half of them will face disease recurrence¹. Rather than accepting this as inevitable, we are supporting investigator-led initiatives that test innovative interventions specifically designed to reduce postoperative flares. The goal is to evaluate strategies that may extend the period of remission and help mitigate the risk of repeated surgeries.
2. Innovating diagnostics for complex complications. Beyond surgical recurrence, we are tackling the management of complex Crohn’s disease phenotypes caused by chronic inflammation, which traditionally leads to invasive interventions². Recognizing the need for additional monitoring tools, we are conducting research into intestinal ultrasound. By supporting studies that validate this imaging technique, we are helping Canadian clinicians to evaluate treatment effectiveness in real-time. This shift towards point-of-care monitoring offers a non-invasive option, reducing the need for more invasive testing while facilitating timely therapeutic decisions.
3. Critical care in acute severe ulcerative colitis. In the landscape of ulcerative colitis, acute severe colitis is a critical scenario. With a lifetime risk of hospitalization hovering between 18% and 25%, patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis face a medical emergency that can rapidly escalate to colectomy³. Here, we are enabling research into novel treatment strategies for patients who fail steroid protocols. By investigating these options, we aim to provide clinicians with the evidence needed to better manage severe disease activity, explore options to preserve bowel integrity and improve quality of life for patients in critical need.
4. Bridging the gap with Canadian real-world evidence. Finally, the full spectrum of clinical research requires looking beyond patients enrolled in clinical trials. We are dedicated to generating real-world evidence that reflects the diverse profiles of the general Canadian population. A key pillar of our commitment to IBD involves supporting studies that focus on achieving mucosal improvement in the day-to-day practice, the visible reduction of inflammation in the gut lining. This is an essential measure of long-term disease management. By validating safety and effectiveness of IBD medications in routine practice, we are helping to close the gap between clinical trial results and everyday patient care.

Our substantial financial investment in supporting Canadian researchers throughout 2025 and 2026 is a testament to our shared vision. By partnering with Canadian experts to answer relevant clinical questions, we are committed to support the ongoing advancement of care for IBD patient in Canada.
 

1. Kuenzig, M. E., et al. (2023). Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, 6(Supplement_2), S23–S34.
2. Bettenworth, D., et al. (2019). Gut, 68(6), 1115-1126. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2018-318081.
3. Bitton, A., et al. (2012). Am. J. Gastroenterol., 107, 179–194.