Failure of interleukin 13 blockade in ulcerative colitis

Contrary to a decade ago, clinical development in ulcerative colitis (UC) has become highly active with multiple promising innovative assets currently in early and late phase clinical studies. The anti-integrin α4β7 monoclonal antibody vedolizumab has been leading this wave, and has received marketing authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based on an excellent efficacy and safety record. One of the targets that had raised high hopes several years ago was interleukin 13 (IL-13), together with IL-4 and IL-5 the signature cytokine of a T helper 2 (Th2) immune response. As such, its blockade was hypothesised as a brilliant therapeutic strategy in diseases such as allergic asthma and UC. However, in this issue of Gut, results from a trial with anrukinzumab in active UC are reported,1 which, together with results of a trial with tralokinumab reported in the...
Source: Gut - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research