Ixekizumab Brand Name– TALTZ
What is Ixekizumab
Ixekizumab is a subcutaneously administered humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine, inhibiting its interaction with the IL-17A receptor.
Interleukin-17A is involved in normal inflammatory and immune responses. Elevated concentrations of IL-17A are found in several inflammatory conditions, and thus ixekizumab is helpful in treating many such conditions.
The drug is approved for use in adult and pediatric patients 6 years and older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and is also used in adults for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and for non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.
Treatment of plaque psoriasis with ixekizumab results in significant improvement in psoriatic skin lesions and a reduction of itching and inflammation.
The drug is also effective in treating active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), by improving physical function, pain, swelling, and inhibiting the progression of structural joint damage. It may be used as monotherapy or in combination with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (cDMARD) (e.g., methotrexate).
For adults with ankylosing spondylitis, ixekizumab improves clinical signs and symptoms of active disease, which can improve quality of life; cDMARDs and other conventional, non-biologic treatments and analgesics may be continued during use. In treating non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in adults, a higher percentage of patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis achieved an Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society 40 (ASAS40) response after 52 weeks of therapy with ixekizumab compared to placebo; as with other indications, cDMARDs and other conventional, non-biologic treatments may be continued during use.
The ideal therapy for individual patients with plaque psoriasis, PsA, or AS is determined by treat to target strategies, severity of disease, and response or contraindications to treatments.
While TNF-blockers are often first-line biologic treatments, IL-17 inhibitors, the IL-inhibiting biologics, may be considered when the patient has severe disease and either has contraindications/adverse reactions to TNF-blocking biologics or inadequate response.
As with other interleukin inhibitors, ixekizumab may increase the risk of infection.
Indications
- ankylosing spondylitis
- non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
- psoriasis
- psoriatic arthritis
For the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy
Side Effects
- anaphylactoid reactions
- angioedema
- antibody formation
- candidiasis
- conjunctivitis
- infection
- inflammatory bowel disease
- influenza
- injection site reaction
- nausea
- neutropenia
- ocular infection
- pharyngitis
- rhinitis
- thrombocytopenia
- urticaria
Monitoring Parameters
- hepatitis B serology
- plasma hepatitis C RNA
- plasma HIV RNA
- tuberculin skin test
Contraindications
- breast-feeding
- children
- Crohn’s disease
- fungal infection
- hepatitis
- hepatitis C infection
- HIV serum status
- immunosuppression
- infants
- infection
- inflammatory bowel disease
- neonates
- pregnancy
- serious hypersensitivity reactions or anaphylaxis
- surgery
- tuberculosis
- ulcerative colitis
- vaccination
- viral infection
Interactions
- Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Vaccine, BCG
- Canakinumab
- Carbamazepine
- Cyclosporine
- Ethosuximide
- Fosphenytoin
- Influenza Virus Vaccine
- Intranasal Influenza Vaccine
- Live Vaccines
- Measles Virus; Mumps Virus; Rubella Virus; Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
- Measles/Mumps/Rubella Vaccines, MMR
- Phenytoin
- Rotavirus Vaccine
- Rubella Virus Vaccine Live
- Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Nonreplicating
- Smallpox Vaccine, Vaccinia Vaccine
- Tacrolimus
- Theophylline, Aminophylline
- Tofacitinib
- Typhoid Vaccine
- Upadacitinib
- Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccine, Live
- Warfarin
- Yellow Fever Vaccine, Live
