Renal function one year after switching from Sandimmun® to Neoral

• Published in: Clinical transplantation 1999-12, Vol.13 (6), p.461-464
• Main Authors: Seydoux, Charles, Stumpe, Frank, Hurni, Michel, Ruchat, Patrick, Fischer, Adam, Mueller, Xavier, Von Segesser, Ludwig, Goy, Jean-Jacques
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; cyclosporine; Cyclosporine - administration & dosage; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prospective Studies; renal function; Time Factors; Toxicity: urogenital system; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0902-0063; 1399-0012
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-0012.1999.130604.x

Background. The replacement of Sandimmun® by Neoral® in 1995 was thought to cause subsequent renal function deterioration due to the better bioavailability of the new drug. We prospectively analyzed the effect of a dose‐to‐dose drug replacement on renal function over 12 months.Methods and results. The renal function of 47 consecutive heart transplanted patients was prospectively evaluated before (T0), at 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 12 (T12) months after drug replacement. Mean serum creatinine was not significantly different at T0 and T12 (142±55 and 154±60 μmol/L, p=0.1). We were able to reduce cyclosporine total and weight‐indexed doses by, respectively, 11% and 14% between T0 and T12 (274±86 to 244±72 mg/d, p=0.0003; and 3.7±1.4 to 3.2±1.2 mg/kg/d, respectively, p=0.0005).Conclusions. This study demonstrates that the dose‐to‐dose replacement of Sandimmun by Neoral is feasible, with no direct influence on renal function over a 1‐yr follow‐up.