Leflunomide for Musculoskeletal GVHD After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-04-09
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a well-known complication of allogeneic transplant. In
GVHD, the cells of the donor attack the patient's tissues and cause damage. It can affect any
organ or system of the body. In a proportion of patients, it affects the joints and muscles.
This is known as musculoskeletal GVHD. The standard treatment of musculoskeletal GVHD is
steroids. However, these are usually needed for prolonged periods, and cause a large number
of additional problems in transplant patients.
Leflunomide is a drug which has been used for several years in diseases like rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). RA is an auto-immune disorder. The biological mechanisms underlying RA and
musculoskeletal GVHD are quite similar. Hence it is likely that leflunomide may work in
musculoskeletal GVHD also. The investigator have previously used leflunomide in a few
patients with musculoskeletal GVHD and have found it to be extremely effective. Also, it was
very safe (unlike steroids). Yet another advantage is that it is fairly cheap.
The purpose of the current study is to study the efficacy and safety of leflunomide in
patients with musculoskeletal GVHD in a prospective way.