IGICS

Welcome address

I am honored to announce the 18th International Gastrointestinal Consensus Symposium (IGICS) to be held as a part of GI Week 2025 meeting during a period 21st-23rd, April 2025 in Tokyo. Also, I am grateful to Prof Akihito Nagahara, the JGA President, and Prof Kazuhide Higuchi, the GI week President, for giving me the opportunity of the symposium.

The theme of the 18th IGICS is “paradigm-shift in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)”. Recent advance in the understanding of genetics and pathogenesis of IBD has contributed greatly to the development of novel therapeutic agents for IBD. While main medications for IBD used to be 5-aminosacicylic acids and steroids, various types of medications including biologics and low-molecular compounds have become available. Furthermore, large-scaled clinical trials have shown the efficacy of those medications. However, practical strategies for the use of the medications remain to be elucidated. Therefore, I would like to present a chance to discuss the topic in the 18th IGICS. In addition, presentations of clinical observation in the field of GI tract will be welcomed.

Fundamentally, 18th IGICS will be held on-site situation, thus giving the attendants a chance to visit Tokyo. Please do not hesitate to register abstracts for this symposium. We will welcome all of you to have hot discussions on IBD and other GI disorders!