Does Fingolimod induce peripheral vascular side effects? A case study

Fingolimod is the first oral disease-modifying drug approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The drug is usually well-tolerated, and common side effects include bradycardia, headache, flu, diarrhea, back pain, increased liver enzymes and cough. Fingolimod is thought to provide therapeutic benefit by preventing normal lymphocyte egress from lymphoid tissues, thus reducing the infiltration of autoaggressive lymphocytes into the central nervous system. However, the drug modulates sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors and induces several biological responses, by influencing endothelial cell–cell adhesion, angiogenesis, vascular development, and cardiovascular function.