A total of 72 abstracts focusing on IBD epidemiology were accepted for presentation at the 17^th Congress of ECCO. Among the best abstracts, seven were presented in digital oral presentation (DOP) sessions. The remaining 65 abstracts were presented as posters. Below, I summarise the most interesting studies, covering various fields in the epidemiology of IBD.

Dan Turner © Dan Turner

Academia can generate high-quality paediatric data during off-label use of drugs: the example of the prospective multicentre VEDOKIDS study

Remarkably, of the numerous biologics approved in adults with IBD, only infliximab and adalimumab have been approved in children. The long delay between approval of new drugs in adults versus children leads to their extensive off-label use, in the absence of appropriate dosing and safety data. Prospective paediatric data regarding vedolizumab are limited to a small phase 2 study (n=88; HUBBLE trial) focusing on pharmacokinetics. A paediatric phase 3 trial is underway but its completion is long overdue, also since vedolizumab is easily accessible in most countries without the constraints of study protocols. With that challenge in mind, once vedolizumab received approval in adults we initiated a prospective cohort study to explore the effectiveness, dosing and safety of vedolizumab in children. The VEDOKIDS study was sponsored by ECCO, The Paediatric Porto group of ESPGHAN and Takeda. Explicit demographic, clinical and safety data were prospectively recorded, and serum was collected for drug levels and stool for faecal calprotectin.

Edouard Louis © Edouard Louis

The SPARE clinical trial

A treat-to-target strategy and tight disease control may improve outcome in Crohn’s Disease (CD). However, this approach may necessitate long-term use of biological agents and immunosuppression. Combination therapy with anti-TNF and antimetabolite agents is now well established in this context. These drugs may be associated with long-term risks and elevated costs. It is important to establish whether treatment de-escalation, once deep remission has been achieved, is feasible and whether this strategy may improve safety profile and costs without jeopardising disease control.

Laurent Beaugerie © ECCO

The efficacy profile of IBD drugs is rapidly characterised by pivotal randomised controlled trials, but the safety profile of both old and new IBD drugs can only be established after years or decades of post-approval use. This is particularly true for relatively rare events, such as immunosuppression-related cancers. Clinical trials, meta-analyses and safety-dedicated registries are in general underpowered to evaluate the impact of IBD therapies on the risk of development of particular cancers. Data on clinical activity and phenotype of IBD are missing from nationwide administrative health databases, making it impossible to distinguish between the respective effects of IBD drugs and IBD activity on the risk of outcomes of particular interest, such as lymphomas.

SciCom announces the recent election of new member Isabelle Cleynen during the ECCO’22 Congress, with a mandate running from 2022 to 2025.

Sebastian Zeissig  © ECCO

Dear ECCO Friends and Members,

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce the brand new ECCO Young Researcher Award 2022. This new ECCO Prize will be awarded to outstanding young researchers in recognition of their excellent contributions to basic and clinical science in the field of IBD. With this prize, ECCO strives to further support the visibility of exceptional young talents in IBD, acknowledge their achievements in the field and facilitate their ongoing and future research.

IBD Intensive Course for Trainees © ECCO

The 21^st ECCO Intensive Course for Trainees designed for residents, fellows in gastroenterology and junior faculty will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 1, 2022, immediately prior to our next Congress. We are pleased to inform you that the preliminary programme for this course is already available.

N-ECCO School © ECCO

At the 18^th Congress of ECCO in Copenhagen, the Nurses of ECCO (N-ECCO) will host the educational activity for IBD Nurses, N-ECCO School, for the 14^th time. ECCO intends to give nurses, who might be still in training and have an interest in IBD, the possibility to attend an IBD-focused course. The ultimate aim of this programme is to improve nurse education throughout Europe.

To submit an abstract for the 18^th Congress of ECCO, use our ECCO Portal.

Please also view important information on the submission process and the guidelines for abstract submission.

Alessandro Armuzzi © Alessandro Armuzzi

Brigida Barberio © Brigida Barberio

Spyros Siakavellas © Spyros Siakavellas

Dear IBD colleagues and friends,

Warm greetings from the ECCO News Team at the beginning of this hopeful spring, following two very challenging years.

After two years of meeting each other virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are optimistic that next year we will return to face-to-face interaction at the 18th Congress of ECCO in the vibrant city of Copenhagen. At last, we will able to share and exchange knowledge and ideas in person and not from behind a screen!

Scientific sessions will be held from Thursday to Saturday, March 2–4, 2023, while the Educational Programme will start earlier in the week, on Wednesday, March 1, and will finish at the end of the morning of March 2 in order to allow for a seamless experience with no overlapping sessions and to cater for all delegates. We kindly ask you to take a careful look at the ECCO'23 Congress Website for further details.