In this third episode, we discuss four inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) manuscripts published in the first quarter of 2026 that challenge established assumptions and introduce provocative ideas with the potential to change practice. Members of the Building Research in IBD Globally (BRIDGe) group distill the essential takeaways from these papers for practicing gastroenterologists, APPs, and IBD professionals who want a concise, clinically useful review of the latest literature. The BRIDGe group bridgeibd.com — founded in 2006 — is a collaboration of 14 global IBD experts across three continents and four countries. With a shared goal of improving patient-centered care, the group collectively follows more than 10,000 patients with IBD and leads collaborative research shaping the future of treatment. What You'll Learn from this Episode: How appendectomy performed alongside ongoing advanced therapy may induce remission in biologic-exposed ulcerative colitis and challenge the reflex to switch therapies after treatment failure. What the emerging evidence suggests about the efficacy, safety, and metabolic impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with IBD. Why disease location may meaningfully influence the effectiveness of advanced therapies in Crohn's disease, with ileal disease appearing harder to treat than isolated colonic disease. How long-term outcomes after ileocaecal resection compare with infliximab in ileal Crohn's disease and what that means for earlier surgical decision-making. Featured Contributors: Dr. Peter Irving — Guy's and St. Thomas' (London, UK) Dr. Gil Melmed — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, CA) Dr. Krisztina Gecse — Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Guy's and St. Thomas' (London, UK) Dr. Corey Siegel — Dartmouth Health (Lebanon, NH) Articles Reviewed: Visser E, Reijntjes MA, Heuthorst L, Stellingwerf ME, West R, van Dongen K, Crolla RMPH, van Dieren S, van der Bilt JDW, Bemelman WA, D'Haens GR, Buskens CJ; COSTA Study Group. Appendicectomy versus switching to a JAK inhibitor in inducing remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis after biologic therapy failure (COSTA): 1-year results of a multicentre, prospective, cohort study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Mar;11(3):190-203. PMID: 41512889. Maracle B, Quan S, Hamilton P, Shaikh A, Hazra D, Lorenzetti DL, Gold SL, Raman M, St-Pierre J. Systematic Review: Efficacy, Safety and Metabolic Outcomes of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2026 Jan;63(1):17-39. PMID: 41319219. Lee HH, Yuan Y, Boland BS, Chang JT, Jairath V, Singh S. Efficacy of Advanced Therapies in Achieving Remission by Disease Location in Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 Jul 23:S1542-3565(25)00615-9. PMID: 40712715. Ponsioen CY, de Groof EJ, Eshuis EJ, Gardenbroek TJ, Bossuyt PMM, Hart A, D'Haens GR, Irving PM, van der Meulen-de Jong AE, Cheung Z, et al. Ileocaecal resection versus infliximab for ileal Crohn's disease: 10-year follow-up of the LIR!C trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Nov 29:S2468-1253(24)00378-3. PMID: 41724174. Episode Credits: This episode of DIGESTING was produced by David Boyer, who not only was patient enough to teach us how to make a podcast but skilled enough to allow us to sound somewhat professional. Additional thanks to Jennifer Greene as the BRIDGe program manager for keeping us in a straight line to get this done. Episode 3 of DIGESTING was sponsored by AbbVie. All content was developed independently by the BRIDGe group. Follow DIGESTING wherever you get your podcasts and check out more about BRIDGe at www.BRIDGeIBD.com. We look forward to bringing you our next episode soon.
