Deucravacitinib for treating active Sjögren’s disease

Deucravacitinib is in development for the treatment of adult patients with active Sjögren’s disease. Sjögren’s disease is a complex autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks the exocrine glands, which produce substances such as saliva or tears. The severity and types of symptoms vary between individuals, but common symptoms include dry eyes and mouth, aching muscles, joint pain and extreme tiredness. These symptoms can have a noticeable negative impact on an individual’s quality of life, for example a dry mouth can make eating certain foods difficult, and sustained periods of dry eyes may contribute to vision problems. Current treatments aim to relieve the symptoms of dryness that occur with Sjögren’s disease but do not address the root cause.