Tacrolimus and prograf and MMF

BACKGROUND: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) prolongs allograft survival in experimental animals, prevents acute rejection in humans, and has recently been approved for use in renal transplantation in combination with cyclosporine. Tacrolimus (Prograf) has been shown to be effective for the prevention and treatment of allograft rejection in liver transplantation. However, there has been limited experience with the combination of tacrolimus and MMF in liver transplantation. METHODS: This retrospective pilot study examined the results in 130 primary, consecutive, adult liver transplants under two separate immunosuppressive protocols...

Several new immunosuppressive agents have recently been launched for clinical use after kidney transplantation. FK506 or tacrolimus (Prograf) has been tested as an alternative for cyclosporine A (CsA). Both tacrolimus and CsA interfere with the early stage of lymphocyte proliferation by blocking interleukin-2 synthesis. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (Cell-Cept) blocks the de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides, the pathway essential for purine synthesis in dividing T- and B-lymphocytes, and has been used in conjunction with CsA and corticosteroids...

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) a potent immunosuppressive agent, has recently been approved for clinical use (CellCept) in renal transplant patients in combination with cyclosporine (CsA). With the expanded use of tacrolimus (Prograf) as well in renal transplant patients, there is a lack of pharmacokinetic studies clarifying drug interactions between the three agents. A pharmacokinetic study was performed on 18 stable renal transplant patients receiving MMF and tacrolimus together, and four control groups, one receiving tacrolimus alone, two receiving CsA, in combination with MMF (1...