IL-6R Inhibitors & Biosimilars
6 drugsAbout IL-6R
Interleukin-6 Receptor (IL-6R) is a receptor for the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), initiating intracellular signaling cascades that contribute to immune responses. As a key protein in inflammatory signaling pathways, it is a significant target for drug development, particularly in immunology.
Human genetic studies provide strong validation for IL-6R as a therapeutic target, with variants linked to atopic eczema (score 0.87), abdominal aortic aneurysm (0.85), and coronary artery disease (0.84). Strong eQTL/pQTL signals further support its role in disease.
IL-6R is targeted by six FDA-approved drugs, including ACTEMRA, TYENNE, KEVZARA, ENSPRYNG, AVTOZMA and TOFIDENCE. These drugs are either antibodies or other biologics, and are used in immunology (4 drugs) and other therapeutic areas (2 drugs).
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in NMOSD with only 3 trials.
- Emerging modalities (Antibody) signal innovation opportunity.
Human Genetic Evidence Strong
IL6R has strong genetic support with a max score of 0.87 linking it to 42 diseases.
Strong genetic support suggests high probability of clinical success, warranting further investment in IL6R-targeting therapies.
Evidence Across Diseases
20 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link IL6R to 42 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for IL6R 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
Five companies have approved IL-6R targeting drugs, including Roche, Fresenius Kabi and Sanofi.
The presence of multiple established players indicates a competitive market, requiring a strong value proposition for new entrants.
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
IL-6R is exclusively targeted by antibodies, suggesting it may be a cell-surface or secreted protein.
Consider novel modalities beyond antibodies and biologics to differentiate from existing IL-6R targeting therapies.
📈 Modality Evolution
Antibodies pioneered IL-6R targeting (2010), with other biologics entering more recently (2023).
Clinical Trials 441 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 122 | 62 | 17 | 42 | 78% |
| Phase 2 | 131 | 56 | 27 | 46 | 67% |
| Phase 3 | 136 | 97 | 11 | 28 | 90% |
| Phase 4 | 52 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 77% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved IL-6R drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting IL-6R. 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 IL-6R targeting drug was approved in 2010, with the most recent approval in 2025.
The continued approvals suggest sustained interest in IL-6R as a target, but also increasing market saturation.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 5 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 6 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 6-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 280 clinical trials targeting IL-6R.
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