vedolizumab
Entyvio (vedolizumab) is a gut-selective integrin antagonist from Takeda for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in adults who have not responded adequately to conventional therapy or TNF-alpha antagonists. In the European Union it also covers chronic pouchitis after surgery for ulcerative colitis.
This page is based on the official US label for ENTYVIO and the EMA medicine record for Entyvio, cross-checked with the NCI Drug Dictionary; the mechanism is explained in plain language, and analogies are used only where they stay accurate.
How it works
Explains what the medicine does in the body, not dosing, side effects, or safety.
An analogy
Inflammatory immune cells carry a gut-address label, alpha4beta7, that lets them dock in the intestinal wall. Vedolizumab covers that label, so the cells drift past instead of moving into the gut, and intestinal inflammation quiets without broadly shutting down immunity elsewhere.
In simple terms
Vedolizumab is given by infusion or injection and blocks alpha4beta7 integrin, a docking protein that certain white blood cells use to enter the gut. Because fewer inflammatory cells reach the intestinal lining, swelling and damage ease in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
In depth
Vedolizumab is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds the alpha4beta7 integrin on T lymphocytes and blocks its interaction with mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) on gut endothelium. This selectively inhibits lymphocyte adhesion and migration into intestinal tissue, reducing gut inflammation in ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and chronic pouchitis. Because MAdCAM-1 is largely gut-restricted, vedolizumab acts in a gut-selective manner.
See it in motion
A schematic animation of the mechanism — simplified for clarity, not drawn to scale.
How vedolizumab covers the gut-address label
- Inflammatory immune cells carry a gut-address label, alpha4beta7, that lets them dock in the intestinal wall.
- Vedolizumab is given by infusion or injection and blocks alpha4beta7 integrin, a docking protein that certain white blood cells use to enter the gut.
- Because fewer inflammatory cells reach the intestinal lining, swelling and damage ease in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
- Because MAdCAM-1 is largely gut-restricted, vedolizumab acts in a gut-selective manner.
Target: Alpha4beta7 integrin
A homing receptor on a subset of T lymphocytes that guides them into the gut lining, where they fuel inflammation in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Approved uses
Approved uses differ by country and change over time. Always follow your local prescribing information.
Approved uses in United States
FDA- Moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults
- Moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD) in adults
Approved uses in European Union
EMA- Moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults who have had an inadequate response with, lost response to, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antagonist
- Moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in adults who have had an inadequate response with, lost response to, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antagonist
- Moderately to severely active chronic pouchitis in adults who have undergone proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis and have had an inadequate response with or lost response to antibiotic therapy
Official sources
The statements on this page trace back to these records.
- Entyvio (vedolizumab) — Summary of product characteristics and package leaflet, English version
European Medicines Agency
- openFDA drug label record for vedolizumab (Entyvio)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA
- DailyMed: ENTYVIO (vedolizumab) official US label
U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed
- NCI Drug Dictionary: vedolizumab
National Cancer Institute
This page explains how the medicine works — it isn’t the patient leaflet. For anything that applies to you, read the leaflet that came with your medicine or ask your pharmacist.
MedUnfold provides educational content and is not medical advice. Always follow your local prescribing information and healthcare professional.