Crohn's disease
A long-term condition that makes parts of the gut swollen and sore, anywhere from the mouth to the anus.1 The most common signs are diarrhoea, tummy pain and cramps, and weight loss.2 It cannot be cured yet, but treatment can keep the symptoms away for long periods.1 It most often starts in teenagers and young adults, and having a close relative with it raises your risk.1
Read more about Crohn's diseaseTrial-stage treatments and research studies you can join
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Where treatment stands
There is no cure for Crohn's disease yet, but treatment can help manage symptoms and keep people without symptoms for long periods.
Where research stands now
On 11 November 2026, 462 trials and studies of Crohn's disease were open. On that date, 142 treatments were being tested in people: 29 had reached phase 3, the last large trials before approval, 51 phase 2 and 18 phase 1. From 5 November 2025 to 11 November 2026, 77 articles on treatment studies in people, 52 in animals and 6 in the lab were listed. At that date, 12 medicines had US approval and 9 EU approval for it. There is no cure yet, public health pages say.
We found 19 medicines approved for Crohn's disease in the EU, the US, Switzerland or France.
Approved: 19
Officially approved for this disease in the EU, the US, Switzerland or France.
The EU medicines agency (EMA) and its list of medicines in the EU, US prescribing labels (DailyMed, openFDA), the Swiss medicines register (Swissmedic), the French medicines database (ANSM) and the Health Canada drug database, checked on 11 November 2026. Every medicine links to its own official text.
A computer made this list from the official texts: it kept only medicines whose own approval text names the disease, wrote "Who it is for" from that text and checked it against the text a second time. People have not reviewed it yet.
Not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you change any treatment.
Support organisations
Patient organisations and helplines in United States, for you and your family.
Crohn's disease organisations in United States
- Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses (formerly Color of Crohn's & Chronic Illness)
US nonprofit serving BIPOC patients and care partners affected by IBD and digestive disorders through community, education, membership, and advocacy.
- Connecting to Cure Crohn's and Colitis
US non-profit offering IBD support groups, mentorship and caregiver circles for people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and also funding IBD research.
- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
US nonprofit for people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, with local chapters, volunteer-led support groups and an IBD help line.
- Girls With Guts
A community for women with inflammatory bowel disease and/or ostomies, offering stories, resources, events, retreats, membership and support.
General support in United States
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
US national 24/7 free and confidential lifeline for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, reachable by calling or texting 988 or by chat.
- MedlinePlus
Free, easy-to-read health information service of the US National Library of Medicine (NIH) on diseases, conditions, drugs and wellness.
International organisations
Offer tissue or data
There are three ways to help research move faster.
Treatments approved outside the EU
We found no medicine for Crohn's disease approved in the US or Japan that is not approved in the EU. These are the ones approved in the EU.
Checked on 11 Nov 2026 in the official lists of the US (FDA), Japan (PMDA, approvals since April 2004) and the EU (EMA). 6 uncertain matches are left out.
Your health insurer may pay part of the cost, sometimes all of it. This depends on your insurer, your plan and the country, so always ask your insurer before you go. For planned care in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, ask about form S2.
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“Cures” others already fact-checked
- Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) & Crohn's disease
- Curcumin (turmeric) & Crohn's disease
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About Crohn's disease
A long-term condition that makes parts of the gut swollen and sore, anywhere from the mouth to the anus.1 The most common signs are diarrhoea, tummy pain and cramps, and weight loss.2 It cannot be cured yet, but treatment can keep the symptoms away for long periods.1 It most often starts in teenagers and young adults, and having a close relative with it raises your risk.1
What is it?
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition in which part of the gut becomes swollen and inflamed.1 It can affect any part of the gut, from the mouth to the anus, but it usually affects the small intestine and the start of the large intestine.2 It is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).2 The immune system attacks part of the gut by mistake; why this happens is not fully known.1
It can start at any age, but most often in teenagers and young adults.1 Genes passed on from parents seem to play a part, so it can run in families.2,1 Smoking also raises the risk.2 Stress and food do not cause it, but they can make the symptoms worse.2
The first signs
The signs depend on which part of the gut is affected.1
- diarrhoea, sometimes with blood or mucus;1
- tummy pain and cramps;1,2
- tiredness and feeling generally unwell;1
- a poor appetite and losing weight;1
- pain around the anus.1
Some people also get joint pain, sore eyes or skin rashes.1 The symptoms come and go: a flare-up can last from a few days to several months.1 Children may not grow as expected.1
How doctors find out
No single test proves Crohn's, and finding out can take time.1 Your family doctor may arrange blood tests and a test of a sample of your poo, then send you to a hospital specialist.1 In hospital, a thin tube with a camera may look inside your gut (colonoscopy or gastroscopy), and a tiny piece of tissue may be taken to check (biopsy).1 MRI, CT or ultrasound scans can also help.1
Current treatment
Steroids, mesalazine or sulfasalazine settle the swelling, immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and biologics such as adalimumab or infliximab help keep symptoms away, and some people have surgery.Source: NHS
Will it get worse?
Crohn's is lifelong, and it affects everyone differently.1 Some people have mild symptoms; for others it badly affects their general health.1 Times of bad symptoms alternate with times of few or none (remission).1 Getting the right treatment for your Crohn's symptoms reduces the risk of problems such as a narrowed bowel that can cause a blockage, tunnels from the bowel to other places (fistulas), tears near the anus, vitamin deficiencies and bowel cancer.1
Medicines: what helps, and what to watch for
Treatment can help you stay without symptoms for long periods.1 Steroids, mesalazine and sulfasalazine reduce the swelling.1 Immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and mercaptopurine calm the immune system, and biological medicines such as adalimumab and infliximab are another option.1 Painkillers, laxatives and medicines to stop diarrhoea can help with symptoms.1 No single treatment works for everyone, so your treatment usually changes over time.2,1
Diet helps too
Surgery, for some people
Surgery may help when only some parts of the gut are affected, or when severe symptoms do not get better with medicines.1 The surgeon removes the damaged part of the bowel and joins the healthy ends, or brings the end of the bowel out through an opening in the tummy (a stoma).1 It does not cure Crohn's: the symptoms can come back in another part of the gut.1
Sources
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