Q. What are the common immunotherapy drugs or treatments available?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
There are several common immunotherapy drugs and treatments have been developed and approved for various medical conditions, particularly in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Please keep in mind that new drugs and treatments may have emerged since that time. Here are some of the common immunotherapy drugs and treatments:
1. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs block specific proteins (checkpoints) that cancer cells use to evade the immune system. Common immune checkpoint inhibitors include:
- Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
- Nivolumab (Opdivo)
- Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
- Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
2. CAR-T Cell Therapy: This therapy involves genetically engineering a patient's own T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can target specific proteins on cancer cells. Common CAR-T cell therapies include:
- Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah)
- Axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta)
3. Monoclonal Antibodies: These are laboratory-made antibodies that can target specific proteins on the surface of cells, including cancer cells. Common monoclonal antibodies include:
- Rituximab (Rituxan)
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
- Bevacizumab (Avastin)
4. Cancer Vaccines: Cancer vaccines stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. One example is:
- Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), used in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
5. Interferons and Interleukins: These are signaling proteins that can enhance the immune system's response. Examples include:
- Interferon-alpha (used for certain types of leukemia, melanoma, and other cancers)
- Interleukin-2 (used for metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma)
6. Cytokines: These are signaling molecules that regulate immune responses. For example, interferon-gamma may be used to treat certain autoimmune diseases.
7. Immunosuppressive Drugs: In some cases, immunosuppressive drugs are used to dampen an overactive immune system, particularly in autoimmune diseases. Common immunosuppressive drugs include:
- Prednisone
- Methotrexate
- Mycophenolate mofetil
8. Checkpoint Inhibitors for Autoimmune Diseases: Some checkpoint inhibitors, such as abatacept (Orencia) and ustekinumab (Stelara), are used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
9. Allergen Immunotherapy: This form of immunotherapy is used to treat allergies by gradually exposing a patient to increasing amounts of allergens to desensitize the immune response.
It's important to note that the choice of immunotherapy treatment depends on the specific medical condition being treated, the patient's individual characteristics, and the stage of the disease. New immunotherapy drugs and treatments continue to be developed and researched, expanding the range of options available for various conditions. Patients should consult with their healthcare providers to determine the most appropriate immunotherapy treatment for their specific situation.