Skyrizi vs Stelara
Both are IL-23 inhibitors. Here is how Skyrizi and Stelara compare on class, mechanism, dosing, approval and supply.
At a glance
Key differences
- Same class. Both Skyrizi and Stelara are IL-23 inhibitors, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.
- How they are taken. Both are given by the intravenous, subcutaneous route.
- Time on the market. Skyrizi was first approved by the FDA in 2019, Stelara in 2009. That gives Stelara roughly 10 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
- Who markets them. Skyrizi is marketed by AbbVie; Stelara by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
What each one treats
SKYRIZI is an interleukin-23 antagonist indicated for the treatment of: moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. ( 1.1 ) active psoriatic arthritis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older. ( 1.2 ) moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in adults. ( 1.3 ) moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults. ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Plaque Psoriasis SKYRIZI ® is indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. 1.2 Psoriatic Arthritis SKYRIZI is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older. 1.3 Crohn’s Disease SKYRIZI is indicated for the treatment of moderately …
STELARA is a human interleukin-12 and -23 antagonist indicated for the treatment of: Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. ( 1.1 ) Active psoriatic arthritis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older. ( 1.2 ) Moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. ( 1.3 ) Moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Plaque Psoriasis (PsO) STELARA is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. 1.2 Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) STELARA is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 6 years …
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Risankizumab-rzaa is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of human IL-23 cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-23 receptor. IL-23 is a naturally occurring cytokine that is involved in inflammatory and immune responses. Risankizumab-rzaa inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
12.1 Mechanism of Action Ustekinumab is a human IgG1қ monoclonal antibody that binds with specificity to the p40 protein subunit used by both the IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines. IL-12 and IL-23 are naturally occurring cytokines that are involved in inflammatory and immune responses, such as natural killer cell activation and CD4+ T-cell differentiation and activation. In in vitro models, ustekinumab was shown to disrupt IL-12 and IL-23 mediated signaling and cytokine cascades by disrupting the interaction of these cytokines with a shared cell-surface receptor chain, IL-12Rβ1. The cytokines IL-12 and IL-23 have been implicated as important contributors to the chronic inflammation that is a hallma…
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How this page is built
The facts on this page are pulled directly from official U.S. FDA datasets — they are not written from memory. Each field below names the dataset it came from, so you can check it yourself.
- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 9 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.