Prevention of organ rejection in renal and liver transplantation with extended release tacrolimus

• Main Authors: Reschen ME, O'Callaghan CA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2014-09-01
• Series: Transplant Research and Risk Management
• Online Access: http://www.dovepress.com/prevention-of-organ-rejection-in-renal-and-liver-transplantation-with--peer-reviewed-article-TRRM

Michael E Reschen, Christopher A O’Callaghan Henry Wellcome Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Abstract: Tacrolimus is the key immunosuppressant used to prevent allograft rejection in kidney and liver transplant recipients. Despite the efficacy of tacrolimus and adjunctive immunosuppressants, a substantial number of patients experience episodes of acute rejection and late graft loss. Nonadherence is an etiological factor in both acute rejection and graft loss. In 2007, a prolonged release version of tacrolimus became available that allows once daily administration, thus halving the pill burden compared to the standard twice-daily tacrolimus. An increasing number of studies in de novo transplantation and in treatment conversion have evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile, efficacy, and safety of prolonged-release tacrolimus. We have reviewed the literature on the use of prolonged-release tacrolimus and hope that this will be of value in the design of protocols for transplant immunosuppression.Keywords: immunosuppression, kidney, hepatic, allograft, adherence