Ustekinumab

Ustekinumab, sold under the brand name Stelara among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used for the treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, targeting both IL-12 and IL-23. It is administered either by intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection. The antibody targets a subunit of human interleukin 12 and interleukin 23, which are naturally occurring proteins that regulate the immune system and immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. Ustekinumab is a fully human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody that binds to the p40 subunit of interleukin 12 and 23, thereby preventing them from binding to the IL 12Rβ1 receptor expressed on the surface of immune cells. By doing so, ustekinumab prevents the activation of the Th1 and Th17 cytokine pathways, which are central to the pathology of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn's disease. Ustekinumab was developed by Centocor Ortho Biotech.

Ustekinumab is approved to treat Crohn's disease in the United States, Israel, Australia, and the European Union; and ulcerative colitis in the United States, and in the European Union to people who have not responded to more traditional treatments. It was found not effective for multiple sclerosis.