Repositioning Candidate Details
Candidate ID: | R0848 |
Source ID: | DB05679 |
Source Type: | approved; investigational |
Compound Type: | biotech |
Compound Name: | Ustekinumab |
Synonyms: | Stelera; Ustekinumab |
Molecular Formula: | -- |
SMILES: | -- |
DrugBank Description: | Ustekinumab is a human immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 kappa monoclonal antibody directed against interleukin(IL)-12 and IL-23, which are cytokines that are involved in immune and inflammatory responses. It was generated via recombinant human IL-12 immunization of human Ig (hu-Ig) transgenic mice. It is a targeted biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARDs) that is used in the management of various inflammatory conditions that involve the activation of IL-12 and IL-23 signalling pathways. The therapeutic use of the drug started in Canada, the US, and Europe since 2009 when it was first approved for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis, alone or in combination with . In September 2016, ustekinumab was additionally approved for the management of moderate to severe Crohn's disease in selected adult patients. In October 2019, it was also approved by the FDA for use to manage moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults. Ustekinumab is currently the first and only approved biologic therapy for ulcerative colitis that targets the interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 cytokines. The dosing regimen for ustekinumab is based on the patient's weight and there are intravenous and subcutaneous formulations of the drug based on the dosing schedule and condition being treated. Ustekinumab is commonly marketed under the trade name STELARA. |
CAS Number: | 815610-63-0 |
Molecular Weight: | |
DrugBank Indication: | Ustekinumab is indicated for the management of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in children aged 6 and above, adolescents, and adults who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. It is indicated for the management of active psoriatic arthritis in adults, alone or in combination with methotrexate. It is indicated for the management of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease in adults who were clinically unresponsive or intolerant to immunomodulator or corticosteroid therapy (but never failed a tutor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker) or treatment with one or more TNF blockers. It is indicated for the management of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults. |
DrugBank Pharmacology: | Ustekinumab is a targeted antibody therapy that suppresses immune responses. It acts by reducing the signaling pathways of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-23, which play a role in various inflammatory conditions. It downregulates the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as MCP-1, TNF-alpha, IP-10, and IL-8. The formation of cytochrome P-450 enzymes may be altered by elevated levels of certain cytokines during chronic inflammation. Research shows that there is an inverse relationship between plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines and CYP450 enzyme formation and activity. While ustekinumab may potentially normalize the formation of CYP enzymes and enhance the CYP-mediated metabolism of drugs, there were no clinically significant effects on human CYP enzyme activities. The steady-state was achieved by 28 weeks after multiple subcutaneous dose administration in adult patients with psoriasis. |
DrugBank MoA: | Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 are heterodimeric cytokines that evoke immune and inflammatory responses, such as natural killer cell activation and CD4+ T-cell differentiation and activation. The role of IL-12 and IL-23 were implicated in a variety of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases. They modulate lymphocyte function, including T-helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cell subsets, as CD4+ T cells can differentiate into T-helper (Th) effector lineages based on the environment. Th cells can further activate the downstream pro-inflammatory mediators and transcription factors such as TNFα and IFNγ that drive innate and adaptive immunity. IL-12 and IL-23 share a common p40 subunit, paired with p35 and p19 subunits of IL-12 and IL-23, respectively. The antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of ustekinumab binds the D1 domain of the p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23 in a 1:1 ratio. This prevents IL-12 and IL-23 from binding to the IL-12Rβ1 receptor chain of IL-12 (IL-12Rβ1/β2) and IL-23 (IL-12Rβ1/23R) receptor complexes on the surface of NK and T cells. Ustekinumab only binds to IL-12 and IL-23 that are unbound to IL-12Rβ1, so it is unlikely to initiate Fc effector functions, such as ADCC or CDC. Inhibition of the IL-12/23 signalling pathway leads to profound suppression of both the Th1 and Th17 cell lineage of cytokines and chemokines and their inflammatory pathways. |
Targets: | Interleukin-12 subunit beta inhibitor; Interleukin-23 inhibitor |
Inclusion Criteria: | Therapeutic strategy associated |

Strategy ID | Strategy | Synonyms | Related Targets | Related Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S05 | Anti-inflammatory | inflammatory | Bile acid; TNF-a inhibitor; Dual PPAR-α and -δ agonists; Toll-Like Receptor; (TLR)-4 antagonist; Caspase inhibitor; ASK-1 inhibitor | Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Pentoxifylline; Elafibranor; JKB-121; Emricasan; Selonsertib; | Details |
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I15 | 1290 | Bone disease | A connective tissue disease that affects the structure or development of bone or causes an impairment of normal bone function. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_disease | disease of anatomical entity/ musculoskeletal system disease/connective tissue disease | Details |