NICE guidance - teriflunomide for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Teriflunomide is an immunomodulatory disease-modifying therapy

• has a UK marketing authorisation for 'the treatment of adult patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis'
• is anti-inflammatory and works by blocking proliferation of stimulated lymphocytes
• exact mechanism of action for teriflunomide is not fully understood
  • thought to reduce the number of activated lymphocytes, which would cause inflammation, and damage myelin in the central nervous system

Adverse effects include:

• diarrhoea, alopecia, nausea and increased levels of alanine aminotransferase

NICE have stated that teriflunomide is recommended for treating adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (normally defined as 2 clinically significant relapses in the previous 2 years)

• only if they do not have highly active or rapidly evolving severe relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

For full details see the summary of product characteristics.

Reference:

1. NICE (January 2014). Teriflunomide for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis