IL6R interleukin 6 receptor
ENSG00000160712 · protein coding · Open Targets profile
Part of the receptor for interleukin 6. Binds to IL6 with low affinity, but does not transduce a signal (PubMed:28265003). Signal activation necessitate an association with IL6ST. Activation leads to the regulation of the immune response, acute-phase reactions and hematopoiesis (PubMed:30995492, PubMed:31235509). The interaction with membrane-bound IL6R and IL6ST stimulates 'classic signaling', the restricted expression of the IL6R limits classic IL6 signaling to only a few tissues such as the liver and some cells of the immune system. Whereas the binding of IL6 and soluble IL6R to IL6ST stimulates 'trans- signaling'. Alternatively, 'cluster signaling' occurs when membrane- bound IL6:IL6R complexes on transmitter cells activate IL6ST receptors on neighboring receiver cells (Probable). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:28265003, ECO:0000269|PubMed:31235509, ECO:0000305|PubMed:30995492}.
Each band is a group of drugs. It runs from the kind of drug on the left to the furthest stage that drug has reached in any disease on the right. Thicker bands mean more drugs.
Approved bands are highlighted. Withdrawn means the drug was pulled from the market or from development. A combined phase counts as the later one (Phase 1/2 is shown as Phase 2). Hover a band for the drug names. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.
Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Tractability
- Small molecule
- Structure with Ligand
- Antibody
- Approved Drug, UniProt loc high conf, GO CC high conf, UniProt loc med conf, UniProt SigP or TMHMM
gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.786300003528595 (upper bound 1.0305999517440796). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.
Who runs trials of these drugs
Principal investigators and study chairs on 252 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against IL6R (levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumab), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Gertjan WolbinkReade Rheumatology Research Institute · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Jacques-Eric GOTTENBERGHôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Janice MehnertNYU Langone Health · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Oksana A. MarkovaJSC GENERIUM · 1 of 3 trials Phase 2+
- Alexandra Gomez ArteagaWeill Medical College of Cornell University · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Alfons A Den BroerderSint Maartenskliniek · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Aliyah PabaniJohns Hopkins University · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Anastasia MartynovaUniversity of Southern California · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Anne Hege AamodtOslo University Hospital · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Arnaud DEL BELLOUniversity Hospital, Toulouse · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Benigno RodriguezCase Western Reserve University · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Benjamin TerrierAP-HP - Service médecine interne · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Boglarka GyurkoczaMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Brian HenickAssistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- CANTAGREL AlainUniversity Hospital, Toulouse · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
Registry trials of levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumab updated in the last three years, counted by the country group of their listed sites. A trial with sites in several groups counts in each; 157 of 242 have all sites in one country.
Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality. Europe is the EU and EEA, the UK and Switzerland. 10 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.
80 trials of drugs against IL6R were stopped early; 4 give no reason
Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumab, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 25 most recent of 80.
- terminated · 2026-08-20 · University Hospital, Strasbourg, France · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“recruitment difficulties”
- terminated · 2026-08-03 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Tocilizumab“Study was closed early as the sponsor decided not to continue development of certain treatment combinations.”
- terminated · 2026-06-08 · University of Chicago · Tocilizumab“Lack of recruitment of patients into the trial”
- terminated · 2026-05-12 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Tocilizumab“Study was closed early as the sponsor decided not to continue development of certain treatment combinations.”
- terminated · 2026-02-10 · Queen's Medical Center · Tocilizumab“Per Queen's Regulatory Office, study is terminated or expired.”
- terminated · 2026-01-22 · Takeda · Tocilizumab“Clinical Futility of TAK 500 met. No further development with this compound”
- suspended · 2025-11-13 · Massachusetts General Hospital · Tocilizumab“we were not able to get the study drug due to covid”
- withdrawn · 2025-09-29 · BayCare Health System · Sarilumab 200 MG/1.14 ML Subcutaneous Solution“no participants enrolled”
- terminated · 2025-06-17 · Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · Tocilizumab“NIHR withdrawal of funding”
- terminated · 2025-05-28 · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Tocilizumab“Based on two large, multicenter, randomized trials showed no benefit to tocilizumab in this setting and study has been closed.”
- withdrawn · 2025-03-04 · University of Florida · Satralizumab“Lost support from the drug manufacturer”
- terminated · 2025-02-28 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Satralizumab“Sponsor decided to halt development of satralizumab in generalized myasthenia gravis and discontinued further dosing with the study drug (while the OLE period was ongoing) upon reviewing the primary results (DB period).”
- terminated · 2025-02-04 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · Tocilizumab“Other - Randomized data no longer support continuation”
- terminated · 2025-01-22 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Satralizumab 120 mg“Study has proved infeasible to recruit in sufficient numbers. There are insufficient eligible patients presenting to sites.”
- terminated · 2024-11-01 · University of Zurich · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“too few patients could be included”
- terminated · 2024-10-04 · Hoffmann-La Roche · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“Study was terminated due to Sponsor decision.”
- withdrawn · 2024-09-03 · Genentech, Inc. · Tocilizumab“GO44669 study has been withdrawn due to an internal Sponsor decision. The decision was not due to any safety or efficacy concerns with the study drug.”
- terminated · 2024-08-23 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Tocilizumab“The study was terminated due to sponsor portfolio re-alignment.”
- terminated · 2024-08-09 · Hoffmann-La Roche · Tocilizumab“The Sponsor terminated the study because development of cibisatamab has been discontinued.”
- terminated · 2024-07-09 · Hoffmann-La Roche · tocilizumab“Sponsor decision (not related to safety, efficacy or quality).”
- terminated · 2024-06-04 · Columbia University · Tocilizumab“The primary reason for study closure is slow enrollment.”
- terminated · 2024-02-07 · GlaxoSmithKline · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“Study is early terminated due to Limited efficacy demonstrated in the contRAst program does not support a suitable benefit/risk profile for otilimab as a potential treatment for RA. GSK has decided not to progress with regulatory submissions.”
- withdrawn · 2023-11-28 · Sun Yat-sen University · Tocilizumab“For some personal reasons.”
- withdrawn · 2023-09-15 · Alonso Vera Torres · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“Delays in approval by the national regulatory authority”
- withdrawn · 2023-08-15 · University of Nebraska · Tocilizumab“Funding lost and study never started”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for IL6R's drugs
For levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumab: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.
- FDA pediatric target list: no · IL6R is not on the listRule: Target is on FDA's Pediatric Molecular Target List (relevant targets). Source: FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)), 2026-11-11
- EU paediatric investigation plan: yes · EMA/PE/0000228512 (satralizumab, Treatment of autoimmune encephalitis): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 14 Apr 2025; EMA/PE/0000184035 (sarilumab, Treatment of chronic idiopathic arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, spondylarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 15 Apr 2025; EMEA-001625-PIP02-21-M03 (satralizumab, Treatment of myasthenia gravis): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 8 Mar 2024; EMEA-000309-PIP07-21-M01 (tocilizumab, Treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 29 Jan 2024; +10 moreRule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- EU orphan designation: yes · EU/3/26/3249 positive 22 Jun 2026: Treatment of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease; EU/3/16/1680 positive 27 Jun 2016: Treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disordersRule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: yes · Tosmova (previously Tocilizumab STADA and Tofidence): authorised since 20 Jun 2024; Avtozma: authorised since 14 Feb 2025; Tuyory: authorised since 27 Apr 2026; Enspryng: authorised since 24 Jun 2021, orphan medicine; +3 moreRule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the linkRule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
- FDA pediatric oncology approval: no · FDA's table lists no pediatric approval of levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumabRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-12
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 74 interventional studies of levilimab, satralizumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, vobarilizumab include patients under 18; 26 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or activeRule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-12
Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
All 5 drugs and clinical candidates as a table
Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.