DRUG APPROVALS BY DR ANTHONY MELVIN CRASTO
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Tacrolimus
July 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Astellas Pharma US, Inc. (“Astellas”), a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Astagraf XL (tacrolimus extended-release capsules) for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids, with or without basiliximab induction.
“Each transplant recipient is different and requires a personalized treatment approach. The approval of Astagraf XL marks an important milestone in post-transplant care as it provides physicians with a new treatment option for kidney t recipients,” said Sef Kurstjens, M.D., PhD., chief medical officer, Astellas Pharma, Inc. “Astellas is pleased to continue our more than 20-year commitment to the field of transplant immunology.”
Tacrolimus (also FK-506 or fujimycin, trade names Prograf, Advagraf, Protopic) is an immunosuppressive drug that is mainly used after allogeneic organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient’s immune system and so lower the risk of organ rejection. It is also used in a topical preparation in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema), severe refractory uveitis after bone marrow transplants, exacerbations of minimal change disease, and the skin condition vitiligo.
It is a 23-membered macrolide lactone discovered in 1984 from the fermentation broth of a Japanese soil sample that contained the bacteria Streptomyces tsukubaensis. It reduces interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by T-cells.
Tacrolimus was discovered in 1984; it was among the first macrolide immunosuppressants discovered, preceded by the discovery of rapamycin (sirolimus) on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in 1975.It is produced by a type of soil bacterium, Streptomyces tsukubaensis. The name tacrolimus is derived from ‘Tsukuba macrolide immunosuppressant’.
Tacrolimus 0.1%
Tacrolimus was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994 for use in liver transplantation; this has been extended to include kidney, heart, small bowel, pancreas, lung, trachea, skin, cornea, bone marrow, and limb transplants.
The branded version of the drug is owned by Astellas Pharma, and is sold under the trade names Prograf given twice daily, Advagraf, a sustained release formulation allowing once daily dosing, and Protopic (Eczemus in Pakistan by Brookes Pharma), the topical formulation. Advagraf is available in 0.5, 1, 3 and 5 mg capsules, the ointment is concentrations of 0.1% and 0.03%.
A second once-daily formulation of tacrolimus is in Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe. This formulation also has a smoother pharmacokinetic profile that reduces the peak-to-trough range in blood levels compared to twice-daily tacrolimus.Data from the first Phase 3 trial in stable kidney transplant patients showed that this once-daily formulation was non-inferior in efficacy and safety compared to twice-daily tacrolimus. A second Phase 3 trial in de novo patients is ongoing.
New Drug Approvals 
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