simvastatin + methotrexate

Simvastatin + methotrexate is a combination therapy being evaluated for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Simvastatin is a small molecule HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor traditionally used for dyslipidemia, but it also exhibits pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, such as reducing C-reactive protein levels and inhibiting T-cell activation. Methotrexate is a folate antimetabolite that serves as the first-line disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for RA, acting primarily by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase and increasing extracellular adenosine, which suppresses inflammatory cytokine production. This specific combination was studied in a Phase 4 clinical trial led by King Edward Medical University to determine if the addition of simvastatin to standard methotrexate therapy provides superior suppression of disease activity compared to methotrexate monotherapy.

Other names

Simvastatin and MethotrexateSimvastatin/Methotrexate