Crohn's Disease – Global Clinical Trial Landscape - Focus On Asia Pacific

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel condition characterized by immune-mediated inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect any part of the GI tract, from the innermost mucosa to the outermost serosa. Roughly one-third of CD patients experience inflammation in the small intestine, particularly the terminal ileum, 20% have colon inflammation only, and approximately 50% have both colon and small intestine inflammation. CD currently lacks a cure, and patients typically go through unpredictable cycles of remission and relapse, negatively impacting their quality of life.

CD is most prevalent in developed Western countries like North America, Northern Europe, and New Zealand. However, there's a notable increase in CD cases in rapidly industrializing areas of Asia, Africa, and Australasia. In East Asia, specifically, there's a rising trend in CD incidence, reaching about five cases per 100,000 population in 2015. This increase is attributed to the adoption of Western dietary habits, rapid urbanization, and lifestyle changes.

In 2015, Australia and New Zealand had the highest CD incidence rates, ranging from 15 to 17 cases per 100,000 population. A study conducted between 2017 and 2019 found a prevalence rate of approximately 300 cases per 100,000 population in Australia. In India, in 2013, the incidence rate for CD was around four cases per 100,000 people, with ulcerative colitis (UC) being more common than CD. In 2014 and 2015, Japan and South Korea reported the highest CD incidence rates in East Asia, with approximately two to three cases per 100,000 population and prevalence rates of around 32 cases per 100,000 population. In China and Hong Kong, a population-based study in 2015 showed an incidence rate of over one case per 100,000 population.

Other locations, such as Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, reported CD incidence rates of approximately 0.5 (2015), 0.4 (2012), and 0.2 (2013) cases per 100,000 population, respectively. Among Western regions, the U.S. and Europe reported CD incidence rates of approximately 10–13 cases per 100,000 population in 2011 and 2015.

Access the white paper to gain a better understanding of the global clinical trial landscape of CD and its trends in the Asia Pacific.