CLAZAKIZUMAB Humanized Anti-IL-6 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases Oncolytic

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with numerous and varied effects on the inflammatory cascade and immune response. It appears to be an attractive target for novel immunomodulatory therapy against systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases, and moreover, to trigger the pathogenic initiation phase of these diseases. Clazakizumab is a humanized anti-IL-6 monoclonal IgG(1 kappa) antibody produced in Pichia pastoris. It binds directly to the cytokine itself rather than the IL-6 receptor. It is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of several diseases, including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, and cancer-related cachexia and anemia. Its promising clinical profile, tested in rheumatoid arthritis patients and lung cancer patients, together with its consistent safety profile, may lead to a new biological strategy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases by cytokine blocking therapy.