Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition. You’ll have times when your symptoms flare and times when you have few or no symptoms at all. Overactivity in your immune system leads to inflammation, which damages the lining of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Medications called interleukin (IL) inhibitors aren’t a cure. But they can lower inflammation and bring you relief from moderate to severe Crohn’s disease symptoms.
What Are Interleukin Inhibitors for Crohn’s Disease?
IL inhibitors are immune system signalling proteins that block the chemical signals that cause your immune system to attack healthy cells in your intestines and other parts of your digestive system. They’re also known as biologics.
How Do Interleukin Inhibitors Work?
Interleukins are proteins that deliver messages throughout your immune system. Your body makes dozens of interleukins, but the two known ILs that play a role in Crohn’s disease are interleukin 12 (IL-12) and interleukin 23 (IL-23).
People with Crohn’s have higher-than-normal amounts of IL-12 and IL-23. They help launch an infection-fighting response in your intestines. They also help encourage the development of cells that leads to long-term inflammation.
The IL inhibitors approved to treat Crohn’s seek out and attach to one or both of these chemicals, preventing them from passing along immune system signals. One drug, guselkumab, also stops certain cells from making IL-23.
Which Interleukin Inhibitors Are Used to Treat Crohn’s?
The IL inhibitors approved to treat moderate to severe Crohn’s disease are:
When Are Interleukin Inhibitors Used to Treat Crohn’s?
IL inhibitors can be used to treat Crohn’s disease in several different situations:
How Do You Take Interleukin Inhibitors?
Interleukin inhibitors are liquid medications that you take either as a shot under your skin or an infusion through a needle placed in a vein in your arm (IV). You get infusions at a medical center or a special clinic. You give yourself the shots at home after your doctor shows you how.
How Effective Are Interleukin Inhibitors?
IL inhibitors can work well for people with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease, especially people who aren’t helped by TNF inhibitors. In clinical trials, many people got complete relief from their symptoms. For some, their bodies were also able to repair damage to the lining of their intestines caused by inflammation. Here are some of those results:
Are Interleukin Inhibitors Safe?
IL inhibitors are considered safe. Most people can take them without having any major problems.
But these drugs sometimes cause serious allergic reactions. Also, Guselkumab, mirikizumab, and risankizumab could also cause liver problems. Ustekinumab might also increase your risk of cancer or cause brain swelling or lung inflammation.
What Are the Common Side Effects of Interleukin Inhibitors?
The IL inhibitors you might be prescribed for Crohn’s disease sometimes cause milder side effects. The most common include:
How Much Do IL Inhibitors Cost?
All biologic drugs are complicated and expensive to make, and IL inhibitors generally cost more than other biologic drugs used to treat moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. The drug companies list prices for these medications, which is the cost before any discounts or insurance benefits. They range from about $100,000 to almost $250,000 for a year of treatment.
It’s likely that your insurance or Medicare plan will cover this kind of treatment. But your doctor will probably have to get a particular medication approved before they can prescribe it, and you may have to try a less expensive treatment first. Even with insurance coverage, your out-of-pocket costs may be high.
Drug makers often offer programs to help you afford your medication, like coupons or rebates to help pay for what insurance doesn’t. People with low incomes may qualify for free medication. You can get more information by following these links:
Clinical Trials of Interleukin Inhibitors
Researchers have made a lot of progress in recent years on better ways to treat moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. In addition to developing new medications, they’re continuing to test the long-term safety and effectiveness of existing biologics. They’re also comparing the different types of biologic drugs to each other and working to learn if there are certain tests that can show whether a particular treatment will work for you.
With IL inhibitors, researchers are learning more about the best ways to use them, such as:
- The most effective dosing schedule
- Whether they work better when combined with other drugs
- How well they work if you have Crohn’s complications like strictures and fistulas
Clinical trials are an important part of this process. These are scientific studies that test medications in people. Taking part in a clinical trial may be a good option for you if your current medication hasn’t helped you enough, or if you want to help doctors improve treatment options for everyone with moderate to severe Crohn’s.
Ask your doctor if they know of a study that might help you and whether it would be safe to join. You can also search a database run by the U.S. government at ClinicalTrials.gov for studies taking place in your area.
Are Interleukin Inhibitors Right for Me?
IL inhibitors are just one of several types of biologics used for moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. Your doctor will make a treatment recommendation and can explain the benefits and risks of each option. Here are four things to consider as you work together to come up with the best choice.