Leflunomide, a new disease-modifying drug for treating active rheumatoid arthritis in methotrexate-controlled phase II clinical trial.

Leflunomide is effective in the treatment of RA with less adverse events than MTX. Its efficacy is similar to MTX, but the incidence of adverse events and the rate of withdrawal due to adverse events were lower in the leflunomide group than in MTX group.