Drug & supplement interaction

Thymus Extract + Ixekizumab

Ixekizumab brand name: Taltz.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Thymus Extract has a moderate interaction with Ixekizumab. Theoretically, patients taking immunosuppressants may be at an increased risk of infection from contaminated thymus extract.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Thymus Extract and Ixekizumab

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Ixekizumab

Ixekizumab falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Thymus Extract interacts with.

Theoretically, patients taking immunosuppressants may be at an increased risk of infection from contaminated thymus extract.
Thymus extract is derived from raw bovine thymus glands and is at risk for contamination. Tell patients to avoid thymus extract products unless these products are certified as pathogen-free.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing to know about combining thymus extract with Taltz (ixekizumab). This isn't about one changing how the other is broken down in your body. Taltz is an injected antibody that quiets part of your immune system, which is exactly how it calms psoriasis and joint inflammation. Because it dials down your defenses, you're already a bit more prone to infections.

The worry with thymus extract is that it's made from raw cow thymus glands, and those animal tissues can carry germs. If a product isn't certified pathogen-free, you could be feeding bacteria or other bugs to someone whose guard is already lowered. This concern is theoretical, based on how these products work, but I'd play it safe and check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any thymus extract while on Taltz.

References
  1. Lewis CJ. Letter to reiterate certain public health and safety concerns to firms manufacturing or importing dietary supplements that contain specific bovine tissues. FDA. Available at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dspltr05.html.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Thymus Extract Also Interacts With Other Medications

Thymus Extract has 120 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ixekizumab one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Thymus Extract

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Thymus Extract. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ixekizumab

This page covers Thymus Extract only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ixekizumab page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ixekizumab page

“Echinacea, the herb people reach for at the first sniffle, is on this list for the same reason as everything else here. Ixekizumab (Taltz) treats psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by quieting an overactive part of the immune system, and echinacea is taken precisely to fire the immune system up.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ixekizumab interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Thymus Extract and Ixekizumab Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Thymus Extract
Steady interest

#818 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ixekizumab
Steady interest

#2,559 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Thymus Extract

What is Thymus Extract?

  • Immune system support
  • Frequent infections
  • Allergies
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Cancer supportive care

Thymus extract is a glandular product made from the thymus tissue of animals, and it is promoted mainly for immune support. The evidence is mostly limited, preliminary, or from older studies, so it should not replace proven treatments. Because it is an animal-tissue product, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a serious medical condition.

Read the full Thymus Extract monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ixekizumab Injection

What Is Ixekizumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Taltz

Taltz (ixekizumab) injection is used to treat several immune-driven conditions. In patients aged 6 and older, Taltz treats moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis when the condition is serious enough to need systemic treatment or light therapy. In adults, Taltz also treats active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis (a type of inflammatory spinal arthritis), and active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (inflammatory spinal disease not yet visible on X-rays) when there are objective signs of inflammation.

See full Ixekizumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Thymus Extract

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Thymus Extract — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
120Moderate
0Minor
2,709No known interaction
Moderate

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 moderate interactions — see all 120 on the Thymus Extract page.

No interaction 2,709 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Thymus Extract and Ixekizumab Together: Common Questions

Can you take Thymus Extract with Ixekizumab?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Thymus Extract and Ixekizumab interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.