IL-6 Inhibitors & Biosimilars
2 drugsAbout IL-6
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine involved in inflammation, immune responses, and hematopoiesis. As a signaling protein, it mediates diverse biological effects by binding to its receptor. Its role in immune dysregulation makes it a compelling drug target.
Human genetics provide strong validation for IL-6 as a therapeutic target (max score 0.90). Variants are linked to asthma (0.90), aortic stenosis (0.86), and aortic valve calcification (0.80). Strong eQTL/pQTL signals further support its role in disease.
IL-6 is currently targeted by one FDA-approved antibody drug, SYLVANT, marketed by RECORDATI RARE DISEASES, INC. Approved in 2014, SYLVANT is indicated for a single 'Other' therapeutic area.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in Advanced Malignant Solid Neoplasm with only 1 trials.
- phase2 represents biological uncertainty with 33% completion.
Human Genetic Evidence Strong
IL-6 has strong genetic support with a maximum score of 0.90 across 28 diseases.
Strong genetic support suggests a higher likelihood of clinical trial success for IL-6 targeted therapies.
Evidence Across Diseases
20 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link IL6 to 28 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for IL6 colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top Drugs
Only one company, RECORDATI RARE DISEASES, INC., currently has an approved drug targeting IL-6.
The limited number of players indicates a potential opportunity for new entrants in the IL-6 therapeutic market.
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
IL-6 is exclusively targeted by antibodies, suggesting it may be a cell-surface or secreted protein.
Exploring alternative modalities like small molecules could provide a competitive advantage in the IL-6 space.
📈 Modality Evolution
Antibodies pioneered IL-6 targeting (2010), with other biologics entering more recently (2023).
Clinical Trials 49 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 92% |
| Phase 2 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 60% |
| Phase 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 60% |
| Phase 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved IL-6 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting IL-6. Pre-approval candidates with development codes (e.g. AZD0901, MK-7240) are not yet linked. Anchored on CT.gov primary completion date.
Drug Approval Timeline (2010 - 2025)
The first and only drug targeting IL-6, SYLVANT, was approved in 2014.
The lack of recent approvals suggests a potential for innovation and new therapeutic approaches targeting IL-6.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 2 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 2 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 2-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • White space: 10 underexplored indications
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 32 clinical trials targeting IL-6.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities