Does the new drug Etrasimod-Velsipity belong to the category of biologics?

From a pharmaceutical point of view, Etrasimod is not a biological agent, but a small molecule chemical drug. Biological agents usually refer to macromolecular protein drugs prepared through cell engineering or genetic engineering, such as monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, etc. Such drugs often require injection or intravenous administration. Itramodis an S1P receptor modulator prepared through chemical synthesis. It has a small molecular weight and a clear chemical structure and can be administered orally. This is also a major advantage in its clinical promotion.

The mechanism of action of istrimod is significantly different from that of traditional drugs. It controls the distribution of lymphocytes between blood and lymphoid tissue by selectively acting on the S1P receptor subtype, thereby reducing the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa and alleviating chronic inflammation. Although this mechanism has a similar immunomodulatory effect to biological agents, its structure and production method are completely different. Therefore, it is classified as a small molecule targeted drug rather than a biological agent.

Small molecule drugs have significant clinical advantages compared with biological agents. First of all, it is convenient to take orally and does not require frequent infusions or injections, which greatly improves patient compliance; secondly, the storage and transportation of the drug is easier and is suitable for long-term use in a variety of clinical settings; in addition, the production process of small molecule drugs is relatively stable and the cost is usually lower than that of large molecule antibody drugs, which is more conducive to popularization and promotion.

It should be emphasized that although itridimod is not a biological agent, it is as valuable as biological agents in the treatment of immune diseases. Especially for ulcerative colitis(UC), a disease that requires long-term treatment, the advantages of oral small molecule drugs are even more obvious. Itrimodas a new generationS1P modulator represents the future direction of small molecule immunomodulatory drugs and brings a new treatment model to UC patients that is different from the past.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/mtm/etrasimod.html