title: Generic formulation of Cyclosporine A, Equoral®, in de novo kidney transplant recipients: five-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Equoral(®) is a generic formulation of Cyclosporine A (CsA), which is significantly cheaper than the original medicine. Our center participated in the clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Equoral(®) in kidney transplant recipients in the first 9 months after a transplant procedure. The aim of our paper is to present the 5-year follow-up of patients who participated in the study and were monitored in our center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed intention-to-treat retrospective analysis of 20 de novo kidney transplant recipients who received Equoral®-based immunosuppressive regimen and were monitored in our department for 5 years after transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year patient and graft survival was 90%, and the frequency of acute rejection was 15%. In 80% of patients, the initial immunosuppressive regimen had to be changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our group of kidney transplant recipients, immunosuppression based on generic formulation of CsA had excellent 5-year patient and graft survival and effectively prevented acute rejection episodes. However, most patients needed modification of the initially administered immunosuppressive regimen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Transplant Medicine, and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. mariuszniemczyk@wp.pl
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niemczyk
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paczek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine