WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A new drug has been approved to help sufferers of Crohn's disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday.

    The drug Cimzia, which is manufactured by a U.S. company, received approval for adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have not responded to conventional therapies, said FDA in a statement.

    Crohn's disease is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that affects more than 1 million men and women worldwide. It has no cure and its cause is unknown. Crohn's can cause diarrhea, fever, rectal bleeding, narrowing of the intestinal tract, obstructions, abdominal pain, etc. It also can lead to abnormal connections (fistulas) leading from the intestine to the skin or internal organs.

    Cimzia works to reduce the signs and symptoms of Crohn's, but it also carries risks that will require patients on it to be closely monitored by their physicians or other health care professionals, FDA warned.

    Because Cimzia affects the immune system, it can lower the body's ability to fight infections, such as tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections. In cases of serious infections, the drug should be discontinued immediately, said FDA.