Introduction: Up to now, a total of eight Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of autoimmune and myeloproliferative disease. The JAK family belongs to the non-receptor tyrosine kinase family, consisting of JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and Tyk2. Among these four subtypes, only JAK3 is mainly expressed in hematopoietic tissue cells and is exclusively associated with the cytokines shared in the common gamma-chain receptor subunit. Due to its specific tissue distribution and functional characteristics that distinguish it from the other JAKs family subtypes, JAK3 is a promising target for the treatment of autoimmune disease.
Areas covered: This study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the available patent literature on JAK-family inhibitors published from 2016 to the present. In addition, an overview of the clinical activities of selective JAK3 inhibitors in recent years was provided.
Expert opinion: To date, no selective JAK3 inhibitors have been approved for use in clinics. Over the last 5 years, an increasing number of studies on JAK3 inhibitors, particularly ritlecitinib by Pfizer, have demonstrated their promising therapeutic potential. In this review, recent studies reported that selective JAK3 inhibitors may offer valid, interesting, and promising therapeutic potential in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Keywords: JAK3 inhibitor; JAK3 subtype; Janus kinase; autoimmune disease; patent review.