The need of mycophenolic acid monitoring in long-term renal transplants.

Background: There is little information regarding the 12-h mycophenolic acid (MPA) pharmacokinetics (PK), a way to monitor the drug and the need of frequent monitoring, in stable patients.

Methods: A cohort of 35 adults, under long-term mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) therapy plus cyclosporin A (n = 12), TACimus (n = 12) or MMF only (n = 11); all with prednisone had a 12-h MPA-PK performed to ascertain the percentage of them within a defined therapeutic window. In 13 other patients, two PK studies undergone 1 wk apart were performed to evaluate the need for frequent measurements.