Ustekinumab (IL12B) – Research Grade Biosimilar

Background:

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.2 It was generated via recombinant human IL-12 immunization of human Ig (hu-Ig) transgenic mice.2 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.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,2 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.