IL6 interleukin 6
ENSG00000136244 · protein coding · Open Targets profile
Cytokine with a wide variety of biological functions in immunity, tissue regeneration, and metabolism. Binds to IL6R, then the complex associates to the signaling subunit IL6ST/gp130 to trigger the intracellular IL6-signaling pathway (Probable). The interaction with the membrane-bound IL6R and IL6ST stimulates 'classic signaling', 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). .
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 Withdrawn means the drug was pulled from the market or from development.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, High-Quality Ligand, Med-Quality Pocket
- Antibody
- Approved Drug, UniProt loc high conf, GO CC high conf, UniProt SigP or TMHMM
- PROTAC
- Database Ubiquitination, Small Molecule Binder
gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.2775999903678894 (upper bound 0.5836899876594543). 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 45 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against IL6 (siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitug), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Mikhail SamsonovR-Pharm · 4 of 5 trials Phase 2+
- Gunjan ShahMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Amitkumar MehtaUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Anastasia IvanovaUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- E.S.G. StroesAmsterdam UMC · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Ernest SpitzerEuropean Cardiovascular Research Institute · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Lorenz RäberCardiology Department, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital Bern, Switzerland · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Olatunji AleseEmory University · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Scott PlotkinMassachusetts General Hospital · 1 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Derek ByersWashington University School of Medicine · 0 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Lubomir SokolMoffitt Cancer Center · 0 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Ramsey HachemUniversity of Utah · 0 of 1 trials Phase 2+
- Timothy J VoorheesOhio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center · 0 of 1 trials Phase 2+
Registry trials of siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitug 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; 28 of 43 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. 2 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.
23 trials of drugs against IL6 were stopped early
Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitug, 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 23 most recent of 23.
- terminated · 2026-10-01 · Novo Nordisk A/S · Ziltivekimab“No longer looking for participants.”
- terminated · 2026-02-05 · H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute · Siltuximab“lack of efficacy/futility”
- terminated · 2025-07-23 · CSL Behring · Clazakizumab“Early stop for lack of efficacy/futility (at Interim analysis)”
- withdrawn · 2025-03-03 · Jack Khouri, MD · Siltuximab“Funding unavailable”
- terminated · 2022-05-20 · UCB BIOSCIENCES, Inc. · CDP6038 (olokizumab)“Decision to out-license the compound for further development”
- terminated · 2022-04-14 · UCB BIOSCIENCES, Inc. · CDP6038 (olokizumab)“Decision to out-license the compound for further development”
- terminated · 2022-04-08 · Columbia University · Clazakizumab“Study terminated due to poor enrollment. Data was not analyzed or disclosed due to subject confidentiality being an issue (n=1).”
- terminated · 2021-12-03 · CSL Behring · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“due to sponsor decision”
- withdrawn · 2021-11-08 · R-Pharm · Olokizumab 64 mg“Sponsor's decision”
- terminated · 2021-05-11 · CSL Behring · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“due to lack of efficacy”
- terminated · 2021-04-19 · RECORDATI GROUP · Siltuximab“The REMAP-CAP and RECOVERY substudy results appear to support the survival benefit of tocilizumab in corticosteroid-treated or untreated patients with critically ill COVID-19-associated ARDS.”
- terminated · 2021-04-19 · RECORDATI GROUP · Siltuximab“Internal Company Decision”
- terminated · 2021-02-17 · CSL Behring · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“The trial was terminated in line with the endpoint committee charter.”
- terminated · 2019-07-31 · GlaxoSmithKline · Sirukumab, Placebo to match sirukumab“GSK decision to return rights to sirukumab to Janssen and discontinue sirukumab development in giant cell arteritis.”
- withdrawn · 2018-08-31 · GlaxoSmithKline · Sirukumab“This study has suspended participant recruitment.”
- withdrawn · 2017-11-20 · GlaxoSmithKline · Sirukumab, Placebo to match sirukumab“GSK decision to return rights to sirukumab to Janssen and discontinue sirukumab development in polymyalgia rheumatica.”
- withdrawn · 2016-10-24 · Northwestern University · Siltuximab“Funding”
- terminated · 2014-09-29 · Janssen Research & Development, LLC · Siltuximab“The study was stopped after the interim analysis based on lack of sufficient efficacy. There were no safety concerns.”
- terminated · 2014-08-20 · Centocor, Inc. · Siltuximab“Prematurely stopped after Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) evaluation for lack of efficacy.”
- terminated · 2014-05-19 · Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. · Siltuximab“Protocol was stopped due to the safety issue in Global”
- withdrawn · 2013-02-20 · SWOG Cancer Research Network · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“withdrawal of support for drug supply”
- withdrawn · 2013-01-28 · Centocor, Inc. · Siltuximab, Velcade and dexamethasone“Study canceled based on results of different study with similar hypothesis, investigational agent, \& patient”
- withdrawn · 2012-10-30 · UCB BIOSCIENCES GmbH · Olokizumab (OKZ)“Study was withdrawn due to delay in timelines. There were no safety concerns regarding the study or the compound in the decision to withdraw the trial.”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for IL6's drugs
For siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitug: 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: yes · IL6 is on the list. Membership alone neither requires nor waives a pediatric study.Rule: 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 · EMEA-001222-PIP01-11-M01 (olokizumab, Treatment of chronic idiopathic arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 14 Jun 2024; EMEA-001043-PIP01-10-M03 (sirukumab, Treatment of chronic idiopathic arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 9 Jun 2017; EMEA-001371-PIP03-22 (clazakizumab, Prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerosis): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 10 Mar 2023; EMEA-002840-PIP02-22 (ziltivekimab, Treatment of heart failure): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 31 Jan 2023; +4 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/3/07/508 expired 30 Nov 2007: Treatment of Castleman's diseaseRule: 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 EU/3/07/508, 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: yes · Sylvant: authorised since 22 May 2014; Plivensia: application withdrawnRule: 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 siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitugRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 7 interventional studies of siltuximab, olokizumab, sirukumab, ziltivekimab, clazakizumab, pacibekitug include patients under 18; 2 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, 2026-11-11
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 6 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.