How does Ilumya affect my immune system?

Q: How does Ilumya affect my immune system?

Ilumya affects the immune system by blocking the effects of IL-23, a proinflammatory cytokine that helps to regulate inflammation associated with autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis) as well as bacterial and viral infections. By blocking the effects of IL-23, Ilumya increases your risk of developing infections and may cause the reactivation of latent tuberculosis; however, the risk of serious infections is low (0.3%) and the same as placebo.

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 5, 2024.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Ilumya (tildrakizumab) affects the immune system by blocking the inflammatory response which changes how your body responds to autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis, but also to an infection. This may increase your risk of infection or cause reactivation of some infections, such as tuberculosis.

Ilumya blocks the inflammatory response by binding selectively to interleukin-23 (IL-23) which is a naturally occurring cytokine. Cytokines are substances released by cells of the immune system that influence other cells. IL-23 plays a key role in promoting inflammation and regulating other cytokines (such as IL-17) and inflammatory substances, such as TNF-α3-7. IL-23 is thought to be crucial in regulating inflammation that stems from infection or chronic autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. In these conditions, IL-23 maintains immune cells in an inflammatory state.

By blocking the effects of IL-23, Ilumya helps control the release of IL-17 and TNF-α, which reduces inflammation. It also decreases how many inflammatory cells are present within psoriatic lesions and helps prevent plaque formation and resolves tissue damage. Because it precisely targets the inflammatory pathway at IL-23, it does not modify the effects of another cytokine, IL-12 which helps to protect against infection and cancer. Ilumya can still increase a person’s risk of infection or cause reactivation of tuberculosis; however, the risk for serious infection is low (0.3%) and similar to placebo (a medicine with no active ingredient in it).

Ilumya is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. It is given by subcutaneous (under the skin) injection every 12 weeks following an initial dosing of two injections four weeks apart.

References

Ilumya (tildrakizumab-asmn) 07/2020 Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. https://www.drugs.com/pro/ilumya-injection.html
Tang C, Chen S, Qian H, Huang W. Interleukin-23: as a drug target for autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Immunology. 2012;135(2):112-124. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2567.2011.03522.x
Targeting Psoriasis at IL-23 SunPharma 2020 https://www.ilumyapro.com/ilumya-mechanism-of-action/

What are IL-23 Inhibitors and how do they work?

IL-23 inhibitors represent a class of biologic medications that target interleukin-23 (IL-23), a key inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in driving immune system dysfunction.

Skyrizi vs Ilumya. What’s the difference?

There are a number of differences between Skyrizi and Ilumya:

Ilumya was FDA approved in 2018 and Skyrizi was FDA approved in 2019.
Ilyumya is a brand name for tildrakizumab and Skyrizi is a brand name for risankizumab
The dose of Skyrizi is 150mg, but because each injection only contains 75mg, two injections must be given per dose. The dose of Ilumya is 100mg, and each injection contains 100mg therefore only one injection needs to be given each time
Ilumya needs to be administered by a healthcare professional; however, patients prescribed Skyrizi can be taught how to self-administer it at home
Skyrizi is also approved to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Does Ilumya treat psoriatic arthritis?

Ilumya is not approved by the FDA to treat psoriatic arthritis, but studies for this use are ongoing. Illumya is only approved to treat plaque psoriasis at this time. Your doctor may decide, based on their medical judgement, to prescribe Ilumya off-label for other conditions.

How does Ilumya affect my immune system?

Read next

What are IL-23 Inhibitors and how do they work?

Skyrizi vs Ilumya. What’s the difference?

Does Ilumya treat psoriatic arthritis?

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