Patient description: The patient is a 35-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis, class IIa. She complains of diplopia and fatigue and weakness that affects mainly her upper limbs. She had a positive anti-AChR antibody test, and her single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) was positive. She takes pyridostigmine 60 mg three times a day. But she still has some symptoms that interfere with her job. She is a research coordinator and has 3 children. Her 70-year-old father has hypertension. She does not smoke or use illicit drugs. She drinks alcohol occasionally at social events. Her physical exam and lab studies were not remarkable for any other abnormalities. BP: 110/75 Hgb: 11 g/dl WBC: 8000 /mm3 Plt: 300000 /ml Creatinine: 0.5 mg/dl BUN: 10 mg/dl Beta hcg: negative for pregnancy

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-75.0,  Dermatomyositis, Adult Type Must understand the risks and the benefits/purpose of the study and provide signed and dated informed consent Must be 18 years at time of signing the informed consent form Willing to participate in all required evaluations and procedures in the study including the ability to swallow pills without difficulty Patients must have a diagnosis of DM based upon the characteristic cutaneous findings proposed by Sontheimer[6] and/or a skin biopsy consistent with DM Patients must be candidate for systemic therapy for their DM skin disease defined by inadequate response to aggressive sun protection along with the use of potent topical corticosteroids and/or immunomodulators Patients with a diagnosis of dermatomyositis on steroid-sparing agent and/or systemic steroids (maximum dose of prednisone 1mg/Kg) and still having cutaneous disease activity of at least 5 on the CDASI scale If on immunosuppressive treatments and/or steroids, patients must be on stable doses for at least 4 weeks (28 days) Patients must undergo age appropriate cancer screening Females of childbearing potential (FCBP) must have a negative pregnancy test at screening (day 0 of the study and every month throughout the study). While on investigational product and for at least 28 days after taking the last dose of investigational product  Increasing or changing dose of topical therapy within 14 days of study day 0 (including but not limited to topical corticosteroids, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus) Increasing or changing systemic steroids dosing within 28 days of study day 0 Increasing or changing dosing for concurrent therapy agents within 28 days or 5 half-lives of the biologic agent, whichever is longer, before study day 0: methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, hydroxychloroquine, dapsone, leflunomide, cyclosporine, biologic agents (anti-TNFs), IVIG, rituximab History of any clinically significant (as determined by the investigators) cardiac, endocrinologic, pulmonary, neurologic, psychiatric, hepatic, renal, hematologic, immunologic, or other major uncontrolled disease Any condition, including the presence of laboratory abnormalities, which places the patient at unacceptable risk if he/she were to participate in the study or confounds the ability to interpret data from the study Pregnant or breastfeeding Untreated Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection or active tuberculosis infection as indicated by a positive Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) skin test or T-spot Any condition, including the presence of laboratory abnormalities that places the patient at unacceptable risk if he/she were to participate in the study or confounds the ability to interpret data from the study Patients with acute dermatomyositis onset and rapid progression of muscle disease or significant systemic involvement including pulmonary diseases associated with DM Prior major surgery or major life-threatening medical illness within 2 weeks