Blog | 4th Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

How AbbVie and Takeda Shape Precision IBD on AI and Combination Therapies

As the complexity and heterogeneity of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis become increasingly clear, biopharma leaders are moving beyond monotherapy toward more precise, data-driven development approaches.

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool in this shift, helping teams make sense of complex biomarker, imaging, and real-world datasets at a scale that traditional methods cannot.

When applied thoughtfully, AI has the potential to improve patient stratification, inform smarter trial design, and guide the development of combination therapies tailored to distinct disease mechanisms.

At the same time, the industry is becoming more realistic about AI’s limitations. Questions around validation, bias, regulatory acceptance, and clinical deployment remain central to how these tools are ultimately adopted in IBD drug development.

Applying AI to Accelerate Precision IBD R&D

One of the most promising applications of AI in IBD lies in training models exclusively on high-quality, disease-specific datasets. When grounded in real IBD biology, AI can support more actionable insights across the development pipeline.

The 4th Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Summit includes sessions featuring leaders from Takeda and Locus Biosciences explore how AI trained on real-world IBD data can be used to:

Improve patient stratification and predict treatment response and relapse
Analyze endoscopic imaging to support disease assessment and monitoring
Optimize treatment decisions using real-world evidence
Openly address challenges around model validation, regulatory pathways, bias mitigation, and clinical implementation

Rather than positioning AI as a black box, these discussions focus on how to responsibly integrate AI into existing R&D workflows—where it adds value, and where human expertise remains essential.

Designing Smarter Combination Therapies for Complex Disease Biology

As understanding of IBD pathophysiology deepens, it’s becoming clear that single-target therapies may not be sufficient for many patients. Combination strategies that address multiple disease pathways are gaining traction as a way to overcome variable responses and limited durability.

Experts from AbbVie and Spyre Therapeutics examine how AI and molecular profiling can support the rational design of combination therapies by:

Using molecular and biomarker data to guide target selection

Integrating anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic mechanisms

Leveraging adaptive trial designs to improve response rates and extend remission

Moving beyond the current efficacy ceiling in IBD treatment

These approaches aim to align biological insight with clinical execution—ensuring that combination therapies are not only scientifically sound, but also feasible to develop and deploy.

Connecting AI, Biomarkers, and Combination Strategy

The future of precision medicine in IBD lies at the intersection of AI-driven insights, biomarker strategy, and combination therapy development. By connecting these elements, developers can better address patient heterogeneity and design therapies that deliver more consistent, durable outcomes.

If you’d like to know how senior biopharma leaders are navigating both the promise and practical realities of AI in IBD drug development, download our 2026 event guide and join 50+ industry decision-makers for in-depth discussions across Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.