Zach’s Story

Clinical Trial Story

I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease when I was 12. Unfortunately, nearly all FDA approved medications have proved unsuccessful for me over the last 20 years, and I’ve required four surgeries involving resections of my colon and small bowel due to the aggressive nature of my case. I’ve experienced symptoms all over my digestive tract, from mouth to anus, and have suffered complications involving skin issues, anemia, weight loss and weight gain, as well as others that many Crohn’s suffers are all too familiar with.

After exhausting nearly every traditional medication, alternative therapies, and even diets, my GI team suggested I enroll in a phase 3 clinical trial for a new biologic medication. My team believed I met the inclusion criteria for the study and was an otherwise ideal candidate to participate because of my continued lack of response to other biologics. Despite this, I was extremely reluctant to participate in any study because I was fearful of receiving a placebo, the side effects, and getting sicker during the process.

I ultimately agreed to participate because, to me, the benefits outweighed the risks and there was a lack of any other options at the time. During my first few months in the study, my disease got significantly worse and I was treated with steroids to try and combat the flare. I was eventually moved from the study to their open label, which guaranteed that I would receive the drug and not a placebo and was still part of the study. Once in the open label, I experienced my longest remission yet, lasting nearly three years. That would not have been possible without participating in the trial, and I am forever grateful. The care I received as part of the study felt above and beyond anything I ever expected, and I’m still close with the team that cared for me during that time.

Unfortunately, once that remission ended, my flare was too aggressive, and I required a fourth surgery of my small bowel. At this point, my next option is another clinical trial which I am now much more open to and excited about because of my prior experience. Being a part of the cutting edge of research, helping others through my experience, and even just having another option for a treatment is incredibly rewarding, fulfilling, and, hopefully, successful.

Hometown: New York