Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships of FTY720 in kidney transplant recipients

FTY720 is a new and effective immunosuppressive agent, which produces peripheral blood lymphopenia through a lymphocyte homing effect. We investigated the relationship between the dose of FTY720 or blood concentration (pharmacokinetics, PK) and peripheral lymphopenia (pharmacodynamics, PD) in 23 kidney transplant recipients randomized to receive FTY720 (0.25-2.5 mg/day) or mofetil mycophenolate (2 mg/day) in combination with cyclosporine and steroids. FTY720 dose, blood concentrations and lymphocyte counts were determined weekly before and 4 to 12 weeks after transplantation. The effect of PD ...