IL-6 inhibitors block the interleukin-6 receptor, damping down one of the body's central inflammatory signals. They are used in rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell arteritis, and tocilizumab found a second life during COVID-19, where it reduced deaths in patients with severe inflammation of the lungs.
Class descriptions are written by the Priya Life Science editorial team. Individual drug pages combine that summary with live label, approval, manufacturer and shortage data from the U.S. FDA via the openFDA API. This page is general information and is not medical advice — it is not exhaustive, drugs within a class are not automatically interchangeable, and approvals and brand names differ between the US, EU/Ireland (EMA/HPRA) and other regions. Always consult the official prescribing information and your clinician or pharmacist. Related: Drug Shortages Tracker · FDA Approvals · All drug comparisons