Cyclosporine, also called cyclosporine A, is a medication that suppresses the immune system. It is commonly used to prevent rejection in patients who underwent liver, kidney, or heart transplants, and to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Cyclosporine is also used treat symptoms of psoriasis and inflammatory eye conditions,…

Hydroxychloroquine (brand name, Plaquenil) and chloroquine (brand name, Aralen) are medications that are typically used to treat malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease. They can also be used to manage certain symptoms of sarcoidosis. How anti-malarial treatments work Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory condition where the immune system remains…

Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease where the immune system is overactive. It is characterized by clumps of immune cells, called granulomas, which build up in different parts of the body and prevent tissues and organs from working as they should. If left untreated, these granulomas can lead…

Cyclophosphamide (brand names, Cytoxan and Neosar) is a chemotherapy approved to treat a number of cancers, and may be used to treat select sarcoidosis patients because of its ability to suppress the immune system. Specifically, cyclophosphamide is generally reserved for people with severe disease, such as neurosarcoidosis and cardiac sarcoidosis. According to…

Arava (leflunomide) is a cytotoxic, a so-called cell-killing medicine, marketed by Sanofi and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Leflunomide, the active ingredient of Arava, also is being researched as a steroid-sparing alternative for the treatment of sarcoidosis, especially for disease…

Methotrexate is a cytotoxic, or cell-killing, agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat various cancers, adults with severe psoriasis and severe rheumatoid arthritis. It may be used as a treatment option for sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease in which clumps of immune cells called granulomas…

Prednisone is a corticosteroid approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat many different conditions, including those affecting the skin, gastrointestinal tract, blood, eyes, nervous system, kidneys, lungs, muscles, and bones. It can be used to treat allergies, specific infectious diseases, and to prevent rejection…

CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) is a medication marketed by Genentech and approved to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients (liver, kidneys and heart) by working to suppress the immune system. As an immunosuppressive, CellCept is also prescribed to treat such autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus nephritis (lupus…

Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the body. It is characterized by an overactive immune system that leads to the build-up of clusters of immune cells, called granulomas in different organs and tissues. These granulomas can prevent the normal function of organs and…

Sarcoidosis is a rare disease characterized by clumps of inflammatory immune cells, called granulomas, forming in different tissues and organs throughout the body. These can injure the tissue, causing permanent damage, and affect how the organs work. There is no cure for sarcoidosis, but the symptoms can be managed…