BACKGROUND: Cost of post liver transplant immunosuppression is a major financial burden to patients in developing countries. In India, generic varieties of various immunosuppressants are often used without any definite evidence to their efficacy. This study was aimed at studying the dosage, side effect profile and cost of post-liver transplant immunosuppression using generic products in Indian population following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). METHODS: Data on dose, cost, and toxicity of immunosuppression were retrieved retrospectively from case records of 59 patients who had undergone LDLT at our center. RESULTS: Adequate immunosuppression was obtained by tacrolimus (Pangraf(®)-Panacea) of 0.04 to 0.05 mg/Kg, and mycophenolate (Mycept(®)-Panacea) of 500 to 1,000 mg; the acute rejection rate was 15% during the first month. Serum tacrolimus levels were 5.4 to 7.3 ng/mL. The cost of immunosuppression varied from Rs. 28,705 in the first month to Rs. 8,820 per month at the end of first year, amounting to an average monthly cost of Rs. 17,250. Approximately 23% and 51% of cost was for mycophenolate and for drug level measurement of tacrolimus, respectively. CONCLUSION: Average cost of immunosuppression after LDLT in India is much lower than that reported elsewhere in the world, since lower drug doses are needed and cheaper generic drugs are available. This can be reduced further by decreasing the frequency of tacrolimus drug level measurement.
BACKGROUND: Cost of post liver transplant immunosuppression is a major financial burden to patients in developing countries. In India, generic varieties of various immunosuppressants are often used without any definite evidence to their efficacy. This study was aimed at studying the dosage, side effect profile and cost of post-liver transplant immunosuppression using generic products in Indian population following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). METHODS: Data on dose, cost, and toxicity of immunosuppression were retrieved retrospectively from case records of 59 patients who had undergone LDLT at our center. RESULTS: Adequate immunosuppression was obtained by tacrolimus (Pangraf(®)-Panacea) of 0.04 to 0.05 mg/Kg, and mycophenolate (Mycept(®)-Panacea) of 500 to 1,000 mg; the acute rejection rate was 15% during the first month. Serum tacrolimus levels were 5.4 to 7.3 ng/mL. The cost of immunosuppression varied from Rs. 28,705 in the first month to Rs. 8,820 per month at the end of first year, amounting to an average monthly cost of Rs. 17,250. Approximately 23% and 51% of cost was for mycophenolate and for drug level measurement of tacrolimus, respectively. CONCLUSION: Average cost of immunosuppression after LDLT in India is much lower than that reported elsewhere in the world, since lower drug doses are needed and cheaper generic drugs are available. This can be reduced further by decreasing the frequency of tacrolimus drug level measurement.
Authors: Sapna Shah; Dave Collett; Rachel Johnson; Raj C Thuraisingham; Martin J Raftery; Chris J Rudge; Muhammad M Yaqoob Journal: Transplantation Date: 2006-12-27 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Lisa M McDevitt-Potter; Basma Sadaka; Eric M Tichy; Christin C Rogers; Steven Gabardi Journal: Transplantation Date: 2011-09-27 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: G Germani; M Pleguezuelo; F Villamil; S Vaghjiani; E Tsochatzis; L Andreana; A K Burroughs Journal: Am J Transplant Date: 2009-06-16 Impact factor: 8.086
Authors: Johanna Vollmar; Maren Christina Bellmann; Felix Darstein; Maria Hoppe-Lotichius; Jens Mittler; Michael Heise; Bernd Rüttger; Veronika Weyer; Anca Zimmermann; Hauke Lang; Peter R Galle; Tim Zimmermann Journal: Drug Des Devel Ther Date: 2015-11-17 Impact factor: 4.162