The official strap-line of the Annual Congress of European Crohn’s & Colitis Organisation (ECCO) was ‘Embracing Diversity in IBD’. After speaking with many delegates at the conference, a more appropriate strap-line may well have been ‘Making the Most of What We’ve Got’. 

There were several presentations and symposia that focused heavily on optimizing currently available conventional drugs in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Interestingly, a number of presenters voiced the opinion that the excitement about biologic therapy use had meant that valuable options had been overlooked and the time to re-visit these drugs were long overdue.