New national campaign supports an ambitious 10-year research program aimed at moving IBD care beyond trial and error toward care that is more predictive, personalized, and effective.
TORONTO, November 6, 2026 – For far too long, people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have lost valuable time to uncertainty, trial and error, symptoms, flare-ups and treatment changes.
It’s about time we changed that.
Today, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada officially launched It’s about time, a new national fundraising and awareness campaign in support of its IBD Precision Medicine Research Program, an ambitious long-term effort to help transform the future of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care in Canada.
Despite major advances in treatment, there is still too much uncertainty in Crohn’s and colitis care. People can cycle through multiple therapies before finding one that works, while clinicians cannot yet reliably predict which treatment will work best for an individual, whose disease may become more aggressive, or who may be at greater risk of serious complications.
Precision medicine offers an opportunity to change that.
By bringing together information about an individual’s disease, biology, genetics, environment, and lived experience, precision medicine research could help move IBD care beyond a one-size-fits-all approach toward care that is earlier, more predictive, more personalized, and more effective.
“For too long, IBD has dictated how people spend their time—waiting for answers, worrying about what comes next, and missing moments that matter. We want to change that. By bringing Canada's leading researchers together, we're working to better understand the disease, predict how it may affect people, and develop more personalized approaches to treatment and care. Our goal is a future where people spend less time planning their lives around IBD and more time living them.”
Josh Berman, President and CEO, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
A new chapter for IBD care
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s IBD Precision Medicine Research Program is a 10-year national initiative, supported by a fundraising ambition of $15 million.
The program is designed to bring together researchers, clinicians, institutions and people with lived experience from across Canada, creating the collaboration and sustained investment needed to move promising science closer to meaningful patient impact.
“As a Board, we are proud to stand behind an initiative that reflects both the urgency of what people living with Crohn’s and colitis need today and the ambition required to change what care could look like tomorrow. This is a long-term investment in research, collaboration and, ultimately, a future with greater certainty and better outcomes for people and families affected by IBD.”
Sonu Dhanju-Dhillon, Chair, Board of Directors, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
More than five decades of pushing research forward
The launch builds on more than five decades of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada investing in research and bringing together a community committed to improving the lives of people affected by these diseases.
For Co-Founder Marilyn Finkelstein, the launch represents another important chapter in that journey and in the organization’s long-standing belief in the power of research.
“Fifty-eight years ago, most people had never heard of Crohn’s disease. We have come so far, and I’m proud of the difference Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has made. When we helped start this organization, we believed research could create a better future. To see how far the science has come, and now to see Crohn’s and Colitis Canada taking this next step with precision medicine, is incredibly meaningful. That belief in a better future is just as strong today.”
Marilyn Finkelstein, Co-Founder, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Why It’s about time.
The campaign name carries a two-layered meaning.
It speaks to the urgency of developing a better approach to IBD care. But it is also about the very real time people lose to their disease: time waiting for answers, trying treatments, managing unpredictable symptoms, attending appointments and missing moments at work, school and with family and friends.
For Adam Scully, The Sports Network (TSN) broadcaster and someone living with Crohn’s disease, that uncertainty is deeply personal.
“Living with Crohn’s disease brings a lot of uncertainty to everyday living—waiting to see if a treatment works, coping with side effects and hoping the next option will bring relief. The idea of precision medicine gives me great hope! It means faster answers, fewer setbacks, and a future where care is personalized to each individual. For people like me, this means spending more time living life instead of managing the disease.”
Adam Scully, TSN broadcaster and person living with Crohn’s disease
That is at the heart of It’s about time: working toward a future where people living with IBD can spend less time living with uncertainty and more time living their lives.
A national moment
The campaign was officially launched in Toronto on November 6, bringing together members of Canada’s IBD research and clinical community, people living with IBD and caregivers, donors, partners and supporters around a shared vision for the future of Crohn’s and colitis care.
The launch also comes during Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month.
From coast to coast, communities are joining the moment by illuminating iconic landmarks red throughout November, including Toronto’s iconic CN Tower, to raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis and shine a light on this new chapter in IBD care.
Canada has among the highest rates of IBD in the world. Approximately 322,600 Canadians were estimated to be living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis in 2023, and that number is projected to reach approximately 470,000 by 2035.
For a community that has waited long enough for greater certainty in care, the message is simple:
It’s about time.
Be part of the next breakthrough
Learn more about the IBD Precision Medicine Research Program, hear from members of the IBD community and discover how you can support It’s about time at crohnsandcolitis.ca/itsabouttime.
Follow @getgutsycanada and join the conversation using #ItsAboutTimeIBD, #IBDMonth and #CrohnsColitisCanada.
About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s promise is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the lives of everyone affected by these chronic diseases.
We are one of the top two health charity funders of Crohn’s and colitis research in the world, investing more than $150 million in research since 1974. We are transforming the lives of people affected by Crohn’s and colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, through research, patient programs, advocacy and awareness.
-30-
Media contact
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Daud Arif
Specialist, Impact Communications and Executive Operations
media...crohnsandcolitis...ca
+1 647-914-9883
For interview requests, campaign assets, or additional background, please get in touch!