Gilead reported that emvistegrast delivered higher clinical response rates than placebo in a Phase 2 ulcerative colitis study, positioning the oral a4b7 integrin inhibitor for Phase 3. In the SWIFT trial, 66% of patients on the 200 mg dose achieved clinical response versus 37% on placebo, meeting the study’s primary endpoint, according to conference presentation materials. The 75 mg and 25 mg cohorts showed response rates of 51% and 43%, respectively, indicating a dose-linked effect but with imperfect secondary-endpoint separation. Gilead said it plans to start a Phase 3 program next year and also pursue Crohn’s disease development. Analysts highlighted the dataset as competitive within the class of oral or systemic integrin-targeting options, including comparisons to other a4b7 approaches. For clinicians and trial designers, the key next question is whether SWIFT’s primary endpoint advantage translates into durable remission and a clear benefit-risk profile in larger studies.