Cyclosporine Monitoring for Transplant Patients

A new, clinically sensitive method has been developed for monitoring cyclosporine in transplant patients. Optimal levels of this immunosuppressant drug will prevent transplant rejection with a minimum of harmful side-effects.

Cyclosporine is one of the most frequently prescribed immunosuppressant drugs used to prevent organ transplant rejection in patients. Dade Behring, Inc., (Deerfield, IL, USA), has launched the Cyclosporine Extended Range test for use on its Dimension family of chemical analyzers, and the V-Twin and Viva-E drug-testing analyzers. Using the new test, doctors can monitor patients within two hours of their having ingested the drug. This has been shown to be a better predictor of patient outcome. Monitoring of the dosage levels of cyclosporine is critical because immunosuppressant drugs have a narrow window of clinical effectiveness.

Dade Behring will continue to offer its original cyclosporine test which can be used on the Dade Behring Dimension System and the V-Twin and Viva-E systems. The Dimension tests are fully automated and enable clinical laboratories to perform the test more efficiently with faster turnaround times for test results.

"Due to the global shortage of donor organs, reducing the potential for organ rejection has become increasingly important,” said Jim Reid-Anderson, chairman, president, and CEO of Dade Behring. "As more drugs are introduced to help prevent rejection of transplanted organs, the demand for clinical diagnostic tests to monitor dosage levels of these drugs will increase. Dade Behring plans to continue to develop drugs tests to help monitor drug levels in transplant patients and thus prevent organ rejection.”



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