Emerging small molecule and biological therapeutic approaches for the treatment of autoimmunity.
BACKGROUND
Biological therapeutics targeting TNF-α, IL-6, CD20 and CD80/86 is proving to be an important weapon in the clinicians' armory to fight autoimmunity alongside long-standing small molecule therapeutics such as methotrexate and glucocorticoids. However, there still remains a high unmet clinical need in the field of autoimmunity and many researchers are continuing to discover and develop new therapeutics to address this.


METHODS
A new wave of small molecule and biological therapeutics targeting different pathways is being developed which could generate exciting new options for clinicians. This review aims to highlight those emerging therapies that are most advanced in clinical development.


RESULTS
The reader will gain an appreciation of new approaches being developed to address the high unmet clinical need in the field of autoimmunity.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite recent success in the development of therapeutics to treat autoimmunity, new therapeutic strategies are being developed to address the remaining areas of a high unmet clinical need.
AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood, Bioscience Department, Loughborough, LE11 5RH, UK. Andrew.Leishman@astrazeneca.com
Andrew J
AJ
Leishman
Gary P
GP
Sims
Matthew
M
Sleeman
Martin
M
Braddock
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha