Leflunomide
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Musculoskeletal Pharm
- Aspirin
- Acetaminophen
- N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
- Celecoxib
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- Leflunomide
- Bisphosphonates
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- Allopurinol/Febuxostat
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Summary
Leflunomide is a drug used to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. It functions by blocking dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme in de novo pyrimidine synthesis. Blocking nucleotide synthesis leads to a suppression of all rapidly dividing cells, including lymphocytes. In this way, leflunomide is an anti-inflammatory drug that can be used to treat and improve the course of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. Given its effects on rapidly dividing cells, leflunomide can cause a host of side effects, including diarrhea, hepatotoxicity, hair loss, immunosuppression, and teratogenicity in pregnant women.
Key Points
- Leflunomide
- Mechanism
- Inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase
- Important in De Novo Pyrimidine Synthesis (link to scene)
- Suppresses T-cell proliferation
- Inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase
- Clinical Use
- Anti-inflammatory agent
- Used mainly as a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)
- E.g. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis
- Anti-inflammatory agent
- Adverse Effects
- Diarrhea
- Hypertension
- Hepatotoxicity
- Teratogenicity
- Mechanism