Review of teriflunomide and its potential in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Clemens Warnke¹, Gerd Meyer zu Hörste¹, Hans-Peter Hartung¹, Olaf Stüve^2,3,4, Bernd C Kieseier¹

¹Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany; ²Neurology Section, VA North Texas Health Care System, Medical Service, Dallas, TX, USA; ³Department of Neurology; ⁴Department of immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA

Abstract: In the light of new cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and induced autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received treatment with upcoming disease-modifying immunosuppressant drugs with a highly specific mode of action such as natalizumab, rituximab, or alemtuzumab, alternative oral treatment options for a subgroup of less severely affected MS patients are a major focus of drug development. These agents are currently investigated in phase III clinical trials and some of them are characterized by a favorable safety profile. With an emphasis on teriflunomide, the active metabolite of an immunosuppressant approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis since 1998, a number of oral treatment options for patients with MS are discussed.

Keywords: teriflunomide, multiple sclerosis, immunosuppressant, oral drugs