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Tildrakizumab, sold under the brand name Ilumya among others, is a monoclonal antibody designed for the treatment of immunologically mediated inflammatory disorders.[4] It is approved for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in the United States and in the European Union.[2][3][5]
| Monoclonal antibody | |
|---|---|
| Type | Whole antibody |
| Source | Humanized (from mouse) |
| Target | Interleukin 23 (IL23) |
| Clinical data | |
| Trade names | Ilumya |
| Other names | Tildrakizumab-asmn |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
| MedlinePlus | a618026 |
| License data | |
| Pregnancy category |
|
| Routes of administration | Subcutaneous |
| ATC code | |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | |
| DrugBank | |
| ChemSpider |
|
| UNII | |
| KEGG | |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C6426H9918N1698O2000S46 |
| Molar mass | 144436.68 g·mol−1 |
Tildrakizumab was designed to block interleukin-23 (IL-23), a cytokine that plays a key role in managing the immune system and autoimmune disease.[6][7]
Tildrakizumab was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March 2018,[2] and the European Medicines Agency in September 2018, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.[2][3]
Tildrakizumab is administered via subcutaneous injection. It is available as a single-dose prefilled syringe containing 100 mg of tildrakizumab in 1 mL of solution.[2][3]
The importance of IL-23 selective inhibition for the treatment of plaque psoriasis started to increase early after its identification in the year 2000, when it was found to be a crucial player in the pathogenesis of chronic immune diseases in general, and of psoriasis in particular. Based on that discovery, three monoclonal antibodies that selectively bind to IL-23p19 have been approved for the treatment of plaque psoriasis.[8]
Originally developed by Schering-Plough, this drug became part of Merck's clinical program, following that company's acquisition of Schering-Plough in 2009.[9]
In September 2014 Sun Pharmaceutical acquired worldwide rights to tildrakizumab for use in all human indications from Merck in exchange for an upfront payment of US$80 million. Upon product approval, Sun Pharmaceutical became responsible for regulatory activities, including subsequent submissions, pharmacovigilance, post approval studies, manufacturing and commercialization of the approved product.[10][11] In 2016, Sun Pharmaceutical signed a licensing agreement with the pharmaceutical company Almirall for marketing tildrakizumab in Europe.[11]
As of March 2014, the drug was in phase III clinical trials for plaque psoriasis. The two trials enrolled nearly 2000 participants.[12][13]
In 2016, tildrakizumab became the first IL-23p19 inhibitor to demonstrate positive results in Phase-3 clinical trials for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, further validating the importance of the role of IL-23 dependent pathways in psoriasis.[14] Later on, in 2019 the 3-year study results of continuous treatment with tildrakizumab were published. Given that psoriasis is a chronic disease that requires lifelong treatment, data on long-term maintenance of clinical responses and long-term safety are of special interest.[15]
Tildrakizumab is a humanized IgG1/k monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of the interleukin-23 (IL-23) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-23 receptor. IL-23 plays a critical role in modulating inflammatory and immune responses.[3]
Recent research has found the IL-23/Th17 pathway to be crucial for the pathogenic mechanisms of psoriasis,[7] with IL-23 considered the “master cytokine” since it acts at the top of the inflammatory pathway, activating the proliferation of pathogenic Th17 cells and subsequent production of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-17.[6]
Structurally, IL-23 is a heterodimer with two subunits, p19 and p40. The p40 subunit is also shared with IL-12, a cytokine that is involved in the immune response. Treatments targeting the p40 subunit block both IL-23 and IL-12 and have been associated with an increased risk of infections.[16][6][7][17]
Tildrakizumab binds only to the p19 subunit of IL-23. Through this specific blockage, tildrakizumab inhibits the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that mediate epidermal hyperplasia, keratinocyte immune activation, and tissue inflammation inherent in psoriasis.[3][17]
Tildrakizumab is available as a single-use, pre-filled syringe and is administered via subcutaneous injection.[2][3]
Tildrakizumab has been studied in around 1,800 participants in two double-blind, randomized and controlled phase-III trials, titled reSURFACE 1 and reSURFACE 2,[14] followed by a four-year extension period.[14]
In the reSURFACE trials, a significantly higher proportion of participants receiving tildrakizumab achieved PASI 75 response at week 12 and a PGA score of “clear” or “minimal”, with at least a 2-grade reduction from baseline at week 12, than those in the placebo group (p<0.0001). Response continued to increase up to week 28 and was maintained through week 52.[14][15] Tildrakizumab was also proven to have superior efficacy to etanercept, an effective anti-TNFα treatment for psoriasis, with a significantly higher proportion of participants achieving PASI 75 and PASI 90 at weeks 12 and 28.[14] After 3 years of continued treatment with tildrakizumab, response levels were well maintained in week 28 responders: approximately 68% of participants maintained PASI 90 response and 91.6%, 79.8% and 51.9% maintained an absolute PASI of <5, <3, and <1, respectively (observed-cases data).[15]
Safety differentiates anti-IL-23p19 treatments from other biologic treatments. There is a theoretical risk of infection and malignancy with the use of any immunosuppressant, including biologics. However, compared with the inhibition of other inflammatory cytokines, IL-23 targeting may only minimally impair the ability to generate a proper immune response.[6][16]
Tildrakizumab has proven to be a well-tolerated treatment in the long term.[15][16] The most common (≥ 1%) side effects associated with tildrakizumab treatment are upper respiratory infections, headache, gastroenteritis, nausea, diarrhoea, injection site pain, and back pain.[2][3]
In the reSURFACE 1 and 2 clinical trials, the overall incidence of side effects was low and comparable to placebo.[14][16] Specifically, the incidence of severe infections, malignancies, and major adverse cardiovascular events was low and similar to that of placebo and etanercept treatment groups.[14]
In March 2018, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis as an injection for subcutaneous use in the United States.[5]
In September 2018, it was approved by the European Commission for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy.[18]
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