About TYK2
TYK2 is a naturally occurring enzyme in the body that mediates immune signaling pathways in both innate and adaptive immunity. It plays a key role in inflammatory cascades, which can become dysregulated in disease. Blocking TYK2 along with its associated cytokine pathways has been widely validated as an effective, safe and well-tolerated approach to treating immune-mediated diseases.
TYK2 in Immune-Mediated Diseases
TYK2 plays a significant role in immune-mediated diseases by affecting the IL-23/17 axis and type 1 interferon pathway. Through extensive genomic analysis, we have identified approximately 20 diseases impacted by TYK2, including psoriasis, lupus (SLE), psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Our data analytics also support a genetic rationale for TYK2 inhibition as a novel approach in neuroinflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis, with emerging genomic support in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Genetic studies show that 3-5% of the population naturally carry a TYK2 variant where its function is inhibited, which is shown to be protective against immune-mediated diseases without an increase in opportunistic infections, malignancies, or cardiovascular signals.1,2 This reinforces TYK2’s relevance as a therapeutic target, with inhibitors offering potential treatment across a broad range of conditions either as monotherapy or in combination therapies.
References
1 Dendrou CA et al. Sci Transl Med 2016;8(363):363ra149.
2 Raghupathy, N. et al. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Volume 81, 1136 - 1137