To provide affordable and high-quality care to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both in the Netherlands and abroad, now and in the future, we must approach this care from an efficiency perspective. Only then will costs and environmental impact become integral factors in the choice of a specific medication. And once a well-balanced medication choice has been made, treatment must be optimized to maximize its potential. This is what gastroenterologist Nanne de Boer says in his inaugural lecture.
"At the same time, we must focus on expanding the treatment arsenal, because unfortunately, medications don't work for everyone. We need to embrace drug rediscovery - the practice of giving a medication for a completely different indication - more as this is a cost-effective and rapid method for new medication development," says De Boer.