Gilead Bolsters Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pipeline With Promising Mid-Stage Trial Success

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) on Monday announced 12-week induction data from its Phase 2 SWIFT trial evaluating emvistegrast, an investigational once-daily oral treatment for adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. The biopharmaceutical company revealed the late-breaking findings on Monday at the United European Gastroenterology Week 2026. The trial evaluated whether the selective oral α4β7 integrin inhibitor, also known as GS-1427, could address the substantial unmet need in inflammatory bowel disease. Read Also: Vir Biotechnology, Gilead Strike Deal for Novel Tumor Treatments Key Efficacy Findings The 200 mg dose of emvistegrast met the primary efficacy goal. At Week 12, 66% (39 of 59) of patients receiving the 200 mg dose achieved a clinical response based on the modified Mayo score, compared to 37% (22 of 60) in the placebo cohort. The candidate also demonstrated statistically significant gains across several secondary endpoints. Approximately 31% (18 of 59) of patients on emvistegrast reached clinical remission, compared with 8% (5 of 60) on placebo. Furthermore, 39% of participants receiving the 200 mg dose achieved endoscopic improvement versus 12% on placebo. Histological endoscopic mucosal improvement occurred in 25% of emvistegrast patients compared to 10% on placebo, while mucosal healing reached 24% versus 10%. Read Also: FDA Approves Gilead's New Single Tablet HIV Regimen Tolerability And Next Steps The patient population included individuals with varied treatment backgrounds. While 78% were naive to advanced therapies or had not failed prior advanced treatments, 22% had previously failed one or two advanced regimens. Emvistegrast demonstrated a generally well-tolerated safety profile during the induction phase. Adverse events occurred in 36% (64 of 178) of emvistegrast participants and 37% (22 of 60) of placebo recipients, with most cases remaining Grade 2 or lower. Gilead continues the SWIFT study as planned, with upcoming analyses evaluating long-term maintenance outcomes. GILD Price Action: Gilead Sciences shares were down 0.75% at $155.02 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Also: Elon Musk Has a Pattern, Says Analyst Who Predicted SpaceX Spectrum Deal Image via Shutterstock