United States health regulators on Tuesday approved a drug from Takeda Pharmaceutical of Japan to treat the chronic debilitating inflammatory diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The Food and Drug Administration said it had approved the drug, vedolizumab, which will be sold under the brand name Entyvio, for patients who failed to gain adequate relief from one or more current standard treatments.

“Although there is no cure for these conditions, today’s approval provides an important new treatment option for patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy to help control their symptoms,” said Amy Egan of the F.D.A.

The injected biotech drug, from a class known as integrin receptor agonists, works by blocking circulating inflammatory cells from reaching areas of inflammation in the digestive tract.