North Chicago – October 17, 2026 -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is presenting 20 new scientific abstracts from its inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) portfolio at the 2026 United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week, held October 17-20 in Barcelona, Spain. The data cover long-term and real-world outcomes for Skyrizi (risankizumab) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib) in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Risankizumab maintains remission in UC through week 96
In the COMMAND study, patients on risankizumab 180 mg reached as-observed clinical remission rates of 54.0%-73.1% at week 96. Endoscopic remission rates were 38.8%-53.5%. The ranges span advanced therapy-naïve and advanced therapy-experienced patients, and the study reports up to three years of maintenance treatment.
Upadacitinib sustains Crohn's outcomes at Week 144
U-ENDURE as-observed analyses show clinical and endoscopic outcomes maintained through approximately four years of treatment. At Week 144, clinical remission was achieved by 78.9% of patients on 15 mg and 86.6% on 30 mg. Endoscopic remission was achieved by 47.1% and 64.2%, respectively.
Real-world data show 70.2% response rate within 12 weeks
Interim results from the UPlift study (N=497 evaluable patients with moderate to severe CD) show 70.2% achieved clinical response with upadacitinib within 12 weeks. Median time to first response was 13 days.
A separate claims analysis of 514 patients with UC or CD compared those who switched from a TNF inhibitor to upadacitinib with those who cycled to another TNF inhibitor. Over 12 months, switchers had lower IBD-related hospitalization rates (9.5% vs 16.3%) and lower surgery rates (6.9% vs 10.6%).
AFFIRM analyses expand on subcutaneous risankizumab induction in CD
New analyses from the Phase 3 AFFIRM study, which evaluates subcutaneous risankizumab induction and maintenance in CD, examine outcomes by prior advanced therapy exposure. They also further characterize clinical and endoscopic outcomes among patients who responded to induction and continued treatment. AFFIRM results were first presented at the 2026 American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting.
AbbVie will also present new data on endoscopic remission with ABBV-466, an investigational dual-targeting therapy, in patients with moderate-to-severe CD.
Sofie Berg, therapeutic area head for immunology in international medical affairs at AbbVie, said that because CD and UC are lifelong conditions, long-term and everyday clinical practice data are critical to understanding how patients respond over time.
EMA filing for subcutaneous induction follows August 27 submission
On August 27, 2026, AbbVie announced it had submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval of Skyrizi for subcutaneous induction in adults with moderately to severely active CD. Skyrizi is part of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, with AbbVie leading global development and commercialization.