Leflunomide in dermatology

Leflunomide is an oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drug administered to patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. This drug inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an enzyme critical in the production of intracellular pyrimidines, and down-regulates tumor necrosis factor-alfa activity. Leflunomide has demonstrated usefulness in treating cutaneous psoriasis along with other dermatologic and rheumatologic conditions.