Saucey - I think you hit the nail on the head with your assessment of the need for a diagnostic. This seems to be the greatest weakness in most of the research. Kind of hard to test anything when there's no standard diagnostic! I know there are at least two camps working on this since JMC just gave some more info about JHTs progress in testing their new diagnostic. John Aitken in NZ is also working on this, and can successfully grow the mycobacteria found in Crohn's patients in a week or so - which is huge progress. It's previously proved hard to grow. I am hoping 2016 brings some resolution to this question when these camps publish.
As to RedHill, I have met a few of their study docs and got to know Patrick McLean, the RHB104 Product Manager, quite well. While certainly all companies must be concerned with their shareholders and making a profit, they seemed particularly concerned with the well being of the patients. They seemed to have a genuine desire to alleviate Crohn's suffering as a primary goal. Patrick spoke about how moving the patient stories were and how that convinced him to dedicate his life to bringing this drug to trial. Overall, I found them to be a group with a solid moral compass, which was refreshing in this market. So while they are certainly hoping their drug works for Crohn's patients for many reasons, I think it's unfair to say that they don't care about the MAP theory. Don't want to take an attacking tone, and I certainly tend to lump Crohn's drug companies together as caring only about money as well, but this group seemed guided by something more, so I'd like to give them a chance.
