IL17A Inhibitors
4 drugsAbout IL17A
Interleukin-17A (IL17A) is a cytokine that mediates cell communication and promotes inflammation by binding to its receptor, IL-17RA. This signaling triggers downstream pathways involved in inflammatory responses, making it a key target in immunology.
IL17A is therapeutically relevant for autoimmune diseases due to its inflammatory role, though genetic evidence linking IL17A to specific diseases is weak (max score 0.23). The strongest genetic associations are with abruptio placentae (0.23), COVID-19 (0.21), and asthma (0.03).
Four FDA-approved drugs target IL17A, including COSENTYX, SILIQ, BIMZELX, and TALTZ. These drugs are primarily antibodies (3 drugs) and other biologics (1 drug) developed by Novartis, VALEANT LUXEMBOURG, UCB INC, and Eli Lilly.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis with only 2 trials.
- Emerging modalities (Small molecule) signal innovation opportunity.
Human Genetic Evidence
Genetic evidence for IL17A's role in disease is weak, with a maximum score of 0.23.
Low genetic support suggests that clinical trials should enrich for patients with high IL-17A expression.
Evidence Across Diseases
3 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link IL17A to 3 diseases.
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
Four companies have approved drugs targeting IL17A: Novartis, VALEANT LUXEMBOURG, UCB INC, and Eli Lilly.
The limited number of players indicates relatively high barriers to entry in the IL17A space.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| SILIQ | VALEANT LUXEMBOURG | 2017 | 1 |
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
IL17A is exclusively targeted by antibodies, suggesting it may be a cell-surface or secreted protein.
The dominance of antibodies suggests an opportunity for small molecule IL17A inhibitors.
📈 Modality Evolution
Antibodies pioneered IL17A targeting (2015), with other biologics entering more recently (2023).
Clinical Trials 285 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 45 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 95% |
| Phase 2 | 55 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 77% |
| Phase 3 | 139 | 105 | 16 | 18 | 87% |
| Phase 4 | 46 | 29 | 4 | 13 | 88% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
5 Phase 3 trials testing approved IL17A drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting IL17A. 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 (2015 - 2023)
The first IL17A-targeting drug was approved in 2015, with the most recent approval in 2023.
The recent approval suggests continued interest and potential for further development in this area.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 4 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 4 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 4-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • White space: 9 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 217 clinical trials targeting IL17A.
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