Maintenance immunosuppressive therapy and generic cyclosporine A use in adult renal transplantation: a single center analysis

At present, solid organ transplantation relies on chronic immunosuppression. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) still remain one of the most important components in current immunosuppressive regimens. However, life-long immunosuppression of transplant recipients is associated with high costs for the individual, health-care systems, and society. Hence, there is an urgent need of generic drugs that have the potential to exert equivalent therapeutic efficacy at a lower cost. Here, we report our findings of the conversion of 59 stable long-term kidney graft recipients from cyclosporine A (CsA) Neoral to CsA Neoimmun/Equoral. All patients displayed a continuous stable graft function after conversion for a follow-up period of 6 months, and no major side effects associated with the use of CsA Neoimmun/Equoral were observed. Also, CsA dose and trough levels did not differ after conversion to CsA Neoimmun/Equoral. These data indicate that conversion of long-term kidney graft recipients from CsA Neoral to CsA Neoimmun/Equoral is safe and effective, making this specific CsA generic a viable option for CNI therapy in stable renal transplant patients.