the present invention is based , at least in part , on the finding that mefloquine shows a broad profile of cytokine inhibition , consistent with antimalarial ra therapy . in addition , it has been shown that the isomers of mefloquine show good activity against interleukin - 8 ( il - 8 ). both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are inactive against il - 8 , and this cytokine is implicated in the progression of inflammation and tissue destruction inherent in the progress of ra and oa . this is a significant aspect of the enhanced profile of mefloquine isomers in the treatment of inflammatory conditions . in addition , as shown in table 1 , the isomers of mefloquine have superior activity over chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine against il - 2 , a cytokine implicated in the destruction of connective tissue in ra and oa . this inhibition profile has shown significant activity in a preclinical , ex vivo assay of tissue destruction in the bovine nasal cartilage model . the results are shown in table 2 . for use in the invention , the active agent may be formulated , e . g . together with a carrier , excipient or diluent , and administered , by procedures that are known in the art , including those already proposed for the racemate . suitable compositions will depend on the intended route of administration , which may be , for example , oral , topical , nasal , rectal , sublingual , buccal or transdermal . sustained , delayed , timed or immediate release compositions may be used . the amount of the agent that should be administered can readily be determined by the skilled man , taking into account the usual factors such as the type of patient , the nature of the condition being treated , and the route of administration . the amount of enantiomer may be higher or the same as that for the racemate , or may be modified depending on the co - administration of other drugs . conditions that may be treated include conditions involving cartilage destruction , inflammatory conditions and those mediated by l - 2 and il - 6 , e . g . rheumatoid arthritis , asthma , psoriasis , psoriatic arthritis , crohn &# 39 ; s disease , irritable bowel syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus . other relevant conditions are ulcerative colitis , copd and asthma . the patient may be disposed to cns side - effects , and / or may be undergoing concomitant therapy with another drug . depending on the relative activities of the individual enantiomers , it may be preferred to administer a mixture , e . g . racemate , or substantially one enantiomer . the desired enantiomer may be in at least 50 %, 70 %, 90 %, 95 % or 99 % excess , with respect to any other . the active agent may be used in any active form , e . g . salt or non - salt . the use of (+)- erythro - mefloquine is preferred . it appears that this compound is particularly useful in providing the desired effect , without tissue destruction , and can be safely administered at a relatively high dosage .
a method of treating an inflammatory disease or an autoimmune disease in a subject , comprises the administration of mefloquine .