Immunology is a powerful tool in the world of medicine, helping to create new treatments for various conditions, from cancer to rare diseases. While we’re learning more about how the immune system works, it’s still quite complex. This year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their groundbreaking research on how our immune system functions. Their work could lead to new discoveries and better treatments. The winners are Mary Brunkow from the Institute for Systems Biology, Fred Ramsdell from Sonoma Biotherapeutics, and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi from Osaka University. They were recognized for their work on immune tolerance, which helps the immune system decide what to target and what to ignore. Dr. Sakaguchi discovered a new type of immune cell that protects the body from autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, Brunkow and Ramsdell found a gene that helps create these special cells, called regulatory T cells. Over the years, our growing understanding of the immune system has led to some of the world’s best-selling drugs. For example, AbbVie’s Humira and Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara have been huge successes. Cancer immunotherapies like Merck & Co.’s Keytruda have extended patients’ lives, and mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer’s Comirnaty and Moderna’s SpikeVax played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pharmaceutical industry is full of promising immunology treatments. As some older treatments reach maturity, new ones are just beginning to emerge. Here are some companies making significant progress in immunology: Sanofi’s late-stage drug amlitelimab shows promise in treating eczema. A recent study found that the drug cleared patients’ skin and maintained its effectiveness for 24 weeks when given either every one or three months. Sanofi has a strong history in immunology, with its megablockbuster Dupixent approved for conditions like eczema, asthma, and COPD. Amlitelimab could follow in Dupixent’s footsteps, although it may face competition due to patent expirations in the next decade. Dupixent is expected to reach peak sales of $27.8 billion, placing it between AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq in the autoimmune drug market. Amlitelimab, on the other hand, has forecasted peak sales of $5.2 billion so far. Johnson & Johnson is also expanding its pipeline of immunology drugs for skin conditions and rare diseases. Icotrokinra, an oral peptide, showed strong results in treating psoriasis, with patients experiencing significant skin clearance in a six-month study. The company plans to conduct further studies to compare the pill’s effectiveness against injectable biologics. J&J is also aiming to become a leader in treating rare diseases like myasthenia gravis with its drug Imaavy. Positive phase 3 results this year support Imaavy’s use in treating myasthenia gravis, potentially giving it an edge in the market. Novartis, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, is working to broaden its immunology portfolio with drugs like ianalumab and remibrutinib. Novartis already has a successful immunology drug, Cosentyx, with expected peak sales of $8.7 billion. Ianalumab met its main goals in late-stage trials for Sjögren’s syndrome, potentially becoming the first targeted treatment for the disease. Remibrutinib, now known as Rhapsido after its September approval for chronic spontaneous urticaria, has forecasted peak sales of $3 billion.