Tocilizumab
ActemraRCSB PDB 8J6F · 3D model
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A lab-made antibody that blocks the IL-6 signal, a key driver of inflammation in autoimmune disease.
How it works
The body uses a signaling molecule called IL-6 to turn up inflammation when fighting infection or when the immune system is overactive. Tocilizumab is an antibody engineered to grab onto the docking station that IL-6 needs to deliver its message, so the signal never gets through. Without that signal, the chain reaction that causes swelling, pain, and tissue damage is interrupted.
What it’s used for
Used for several conditions where inflammation is doing harm: rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile arthritis, giant cell arteritis (blood vessel inflammation), a lung scarring condition, a dangerous immune overreaction that can occur after certain cancer immunotherapies, and severe COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.
- Mechanism
- IL-6 receptor antagonist (mAb)
- Drug class
- Monoclonal antibody
- Therapeutic area
- Immunology