Teriflunomide for multiple sclerosis

He, Dian, Xu, Zhu, Dong, Shuai, Zhang, Hong, Zhou, Hongyu, Wang, Lu, Zhang, Shihong

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis aim to specifically reduce inflammation in relapsing multiple sclerosis and promote neuroprotection and neurorepair in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Most of the currently available disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) require regular and frequent parenteral administration, which imposes a burden on patients and leads to reduced adherence. Not all MS patients respond adequately to current DMDs and, therefore, alternative MS treatments with less invasive routes of administration and new modes of action are required to expand the current treatment repertoire, increase adherence, and thereby improve efficacy. As one of the oral DMDs, teriflunomide is a potentially promising new oral agent in the treatment of relapsing MS. It inhibits dihydro-orotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) and the synthesis of pyrimidine and has selective immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory properties.