Clinical benefits of Prograf transpire into economic advantages

LISBON, Portugal, Oct 8 (PROTEXT/PRNewswire) - The costsassociated with kidney transplantation may be cut by using a moreeffective immunosuppressant that reduces the level of organrejection, a major European study has revealed. Results of thiscost-effectiveness study(1) were announced today by Dr Vianelloof Treviso Transplant Centre (Treviso, Italy), at the 10thCongress of the European Society for Organ Transplantation(ESOT), held in Lisbon.The costs of transplantation begin with the transplant procedureitself. In the longer term, the major costs are, firstly, thecost of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection, andsecondly, the cost of treating patients should these drugs fail."Selecting an immunosuppressant that reduces the risk ofrejection might reduce the overall costs associated withtransplantation," said Dr Vianello.The pharmacoeconomic analysis was conducted as part of a direct,head-to-head comparison of the two cornerstoneimmunosuppressants, Prograf(r) (tacrolimus) and cyclosporinmicroemulsion. In this major, multinational, open, randomisedstudy,(2) a total of 286 kidney transplant patients were givenPrograf(r) to prevent rejection, whereas 271 patients were givencyclosporin microemulsion. Patients in both groups receivedadditional, adjunctive immunosuppression with azathioprine andcorticosteroids, and monitored for 6 months aftertransplantation."Following transplantation, Prograf(r) therapy had significantclinical advantages in terms of a substantially lower incidenceof acute rejection, less recurrent rejection and a better safetyprofile," said Dr Vianello. "Our objective was to determine ifthis translated into economic benefits."To test this, the study group collated records of the totalhealthcare resources used by each of the 557 patients during the6 months of the trial - including the costs of immunosuppressantdrugs, of other drugs and medical procedures such as dialysis,and hospitalisation. The costs involved in supplying theseresources were then calculated. To gain a reliable, pan-Europeanpicture, the costs of treatment were calculated independentlyusing data from three different countries - Italy, Germany andSpain."Total resource use costs were lower with Prograf(r) than withcyclosporin microemulsion in all three countries," said DrVianello. Over the 6-month period, Prograf-based management wasassociated with a saving per patient of Euro 1,776 in Italy, Euro1,075 in Germany and Euro 524 in Spain. "The cost advantages ofPrograf(r) were due to lower hospitalisation costs, a lowerincidence of dialysis, and lower costs for graft rejection," saidDr Vianello.Dr Vianello concluded that, "Prograf(r) is more effective andless costly than cyclosporin microemulsion in kidneytransplantation."Fujisawa GmbH is a subsidiary of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., based in Osaka, Japan. Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. isamong the world's top 30 pharmaceutical companies and employsover 8000 people in Japan, Europe, North America and Asia. Sinceits launch of Prograf(r) in Japan in 1993, the first in theworld, Fujisawa has become one of the world's leading transplantand immunosuppression companies.Fujisawa plans to maintain its commitment to transplantation, andis dedicated both to improving the results of solid-organtransplantation and to ensuring the health and quality of life ofpatients. Prograf(r) is currently available in nearly 50countries and forms the centrepiece of Fujisawa's continuinggrowth. Additional information on Fujisawa GmbH can be found onthe Company's Web site at http://www.fujisawaeurope.com .References1. Vianello A, McKenna M, Tiffany T. A cost-effectivenessanalysis of tacrolimus versus cyclosporin-microemulsion followingkidney transplantation. Presented at the 10th European Societyfor Organ Transplantation, Lisbon, 6-11 October 2001.2. Sperschneider H, for the European Renal Transplantation StudyGroup. A large, multicentre trial to compare the efficacy andsafety of tacrolimus with cyclosporine microemulsion followingrenal transplantation. Transplant Proc 2001;33:1279-81.For further information please contact:Marité CruzFujisawa GmbH, Munich, GermanyT: +49 89 45442249F: +49 89 434129marite.cruz@fujisawa.de

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