TYK2 Inhibitors
6 drugsAbout TYK2
Tyrosine Kinase 2 (TYK2) is an intracellular non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cytokine signaling pathways. It plays a crucial role in mediating cellular responses to interferons and interleukins, influencing immune cell development and function.
TYK2 is a genetically validated drug target with strong evidence from human studies (max score 0.91). Loss-of-function variants in TYK2 are protective against rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and COVID-19, supporting inhibition as a therapeutic strategy.
Six small molecule drugs targeting TYK2 are FDA-approved, including XELJANZ, ANZUPGO, OLUMIANT and SOTYKTU. These drugs are marketed by companies such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, primarily for immunology indications.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- Validated target with strong trial activity and 80% attractiveness score.
- White space opportunity in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm with only 5 trials.
Human Genetic Evidence Strong
TYK2 has strong genetic support with a maximum score of 0.91 across 38 diseases.
The strong genetic validation for TYK2 increases the probability of clinical success.
💡 Why inhibition?
- • Loss-of-function variants reduce disease risk (OR < 1)
- • 100% directional consistency across 3 traits
- • Strong signal in immune system disease, musculoskeletal or connective tissue disease, phenotype pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
20 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link TYK2 to 38 diseases.
Inhibiting this target may be therapeutic
Inhibiting this target may be therapeutic
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for TYK2 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
Six companies have approved TYK2-targeting drugs, including PF PRISM CV, LEO PHARMA AS, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
The presence of multiple established players indicates a moderately competitive market.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANZUPGO | LEO PHARMA AS | 2025 | 1 |
| LEQSELVI | Sun Pharma | 2024 | 1 |
| SOTYKTU | Bristol-Myers Squibb | 2022 | 1 |
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
TYK2 is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
The exclusive use of small molecules suggests an opportunity for alternative modalities like antibodies.
Clinical Trials 540 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 163 | 83 | 23 | 56 | 78% |
| Phase 2 | 212 | 87 | 37 | 88 | 70% |
| Phase 3 | 119 | 58 | 16 | 45 | 78% |
| Phase 4 | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 78% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved TYK2 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting TYK2. 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 (2012 - 2025)
The first TYK2-targeting drug was approved in 2012, with the most recent approval in 2025.
The continued approvals suggest sustained interest and potential for further market growth.
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: 5 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 429 clinical trials targeting TYK2.
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