KNOWLEDGE
DRIVES
EVERYTHING
The 2025 Sydney Falk Foundation Symposium – Immune-Mediated Diseases of the GI Tract – Treat to Target Approach – brought together global experts to explore the evolving landscape of gastrointestinal immunopathology, including eosinophilic oesophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and microscopic colitis.
Through expert lectures and interactive sessions, the symposium showcased cutting-edge research, novel therapies, and practical strategies that extended the treat to target paradigm beyond IBD. The meeting fostered collaborative learning and global exchanges, advancing the understanding and management of immune-mediated GI diseases.
Whether you missed the meeting or attended and wish to review the content, you can access it here at your convenience. The opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Dr Falk Pharma Australia, and some therapeutic interventions discussed may not currently be approved by the TGA.

WATCH THE SESSIONS
Welcome
Professor Rupert Leong
Sydney Australia
Session 1: Is treat to target the ideal strategy in immune-mediated GI diseases (IBD, EoE, microscopic colitis)? Debate
1.1 Debate − Pro: Is treat to target the ideal strategy in immune-mediated GI diseases (IBD, EoE, microscopic colitis)?
Professor Axel Dignass
Frankfurt Germany

1.1 Debate − Pro: Is treat to target the ideal strategy in immune-mediated GI diseases (IBD, EoE, microscopic colitis)?
Professor Axel Dignass, Frankfurt Germany

1.2 Debate − Con: Is treat to target the ideal strategy in immune-mediated GI diseases (IBD, EoE, microscopic colitis)?
Professor Peter Gibson, Melbourne Australia

1.3 Panel discussion: Moderator: Dr Lena Thin, Murdoch, Australia
Panel: Professor Axel Dignass, Frankfurt Germany; Professor Peter Gibson, Melbourne Australia; Associate Professor Gregory Moore, Clayton Australia; Professor Dan Turner, Jerusalem Israel

1.4 Summary
Professor Richard Gearry, Christchurch New Zealand
Session 2: IBD strategies and assessments
2.1 Holistic patient assessment: Depression, fatigue, pain, social integration - how does it impact therapy?
Akhilesh Swaminathan PhD
Christchurch New Zealand

2.1 Holistic patient assessment: Depression, fatigue, pain, social integration – how does it impact therapy?
Akhilesh Swaminathan PhD, Christchurch New Zealand

2.3 IUS and calprotectin: Greater cost effectiveness over MRE and colonoscopy?
Dr Yoon-Kyo An, Brisbane Australia

2.4 Early surgery in Crohn’s disease: Underused?
Professor Dr Willem A. Bemelman, Amsterdam The Netherlands

2.5 Panel discussion
Dr Yoon-Kyo An, Brisbane Australia; Professor Dr Willem A. Bemelman, Amsterdam The Netherlands; Professor Richard Gearry, Christchurch New Zealand; Professor Dr Ailsa Hart, London Great Britain; Professor Dr Stefan Schreiber, Kiel Germany; Akhilesh Swaminathan PhD, Christchurch New Zealand
Session 3: Old and new drugs in IBD
3.1 5-ASA optimization & combination oral/topical
Professor Dr Britta Siegmund
Berlin Germany

3.1 5-ASA optimization & combination oral/topical
Professor Dr Britta Siegmund, Berlin Germany

3.2 The case for thiopurines (including thioguanine)
Associate Professor Mark Ward, Melbourne Australia

3.3 JAKi and S1P: Efficacy and safety
Dr David T. Rubin, Chicago United States

3.4 Anti-IL23 (including reimbursement barriers in Australia)
Dr Taku Kobayashi, Tokyo Japan

3.5 Microbial therapies: Prebiotic, postbiotic and FMT
Dr Damjana Bogatic, Adelaide Australia
Session 4: IBD into the future
4.1 Epidemiology: Compounding prevalence
Professor Charles N. Bernstein
Manitoba Canada

4.1 Epidemiology: Compounding prevalence
Professor Charles N. Bernstein, Manitoba Canada

4.2 How to deal with the tsunami of drug use/resource utilization
Professor Johan Burisch, Hvidovre Denmark

4.3 Models of care, innovations (remote) in IBD and non-IBD
Sang H. Park MD, PhD, Seoul Republic of Korea

4.4 Treatment options, treatment changes: What, when, why
Professor Remo Panaccione, Calgary Canada
Day 1 - Closing remarks
Professor Jane Andrews
Adelaide Australia
Session 5: Eosinophilic esophagitis
5.1 The role of AI in endoscopy of EoE
Prof Dr Helmut Messmann
Augsburg Germany

5.1 The role of AI in endoscopy of EoE
Prof Dr Helmut Messmann, Augsburg Germany

5.2 EoE symptoms: Inflammation versus fibrostenosis
Professor Santosh Sanagapalli, Sydney Australia

5.3 EoE therapy: Steroids versus biological agents
Dr Luc Biedermann, Zurich, Switzerland

5.4 EoE diet: Role of diet in EoE therapy?
Dr Emma Halmos, Melbourne Australia

5.5 Maintenance therapy: Treat to target?
Associate Professor Hamish Philpott, Adelaide Australia

5.6 Case discussion
Session 6: Diarrhea & microscopic colitis: Treat to target paradigm
6.1 The diarrheal world: Causes & diagnostic approach
Professor Gillian Watermeyer
Cape Town South Africa

6.1 The diarrheal world: Causes & diagnostic approach
Professor Gillian Watermeyer, Cape Town South Africa

6.2 Microscopic colitis: Epidemiology, risk factors, treatment
Professor Peter Katelaris, Sydney Australia

6.3 Eosinophilic enteritis & colitis
Associate Professor Rebecca Burgell, Melbourne Australia

6.4 Checkpoint inhibitor colitis
Dr Andrew D. Buckle, Launceston Australia

6.5 Presentation of poster awards

6.6 Cases & discussion presented by registrars
Session 7: Strictures in Crohn’s disease
7.1 Clinical, imaging and biomarker assessment of Crohn’s disease strictures and applying a treat to target approach
Professor Rupert Leong
Sydney Australia

7.1 Clinical, imaging and biomarker assessment of Crohn’s disease strictures and applying a treat to target approach
Professor Rupert Leong, Sydney Australia

7.2 Treatment of strictures in Crohn’s disease 2025 – From anti fibrotics to diet
Professor Dr Iris Dotan, Petah Tikva Isreal

7.3 Endoscopic approaches to strictures and combination with advanced therapy
Dr John Chetwood, Melbourne Australia

7.4 Strictureplasty versus resection – Which one and how?
Professor Dr Willem A. Bemelman, Amsterdam The Netherlands
Session 8: Other opportunities to optimize; Comorbidities in IBD
8.1 Obesity (including management)
Dr Patricia Kaazan
Adelaide Australia

8.1 Obesity (including management)
Dr Patricia Kaazan, Adelaide Australia

8.2 Cardiovascular comorbidities and how to assess them
Dr Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan MD, MPH, Boston United States

8.3 Mortality in IBD: Cancer, clots, infections
Dr Kate D. Lynch, Adelaide Australia

8.4 Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Dr Vineet Ahuja, New Delhi India

8.5 Anemia
Professor Jane Andrews, Adelaide Australia

8.6 Fatigue
Professor Fernando Magro Dias, Porto Portugal
Day 2 - Closing remarks
Professor Rupert Leong
Sydney Australia

SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATION
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Date of preparation May 2025. DFR354. COR-2025-1484.
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