Astellas announces Europe-wide launch of Advagraf

Astellas has announced the launch of its new once-daily Advagraf at the 13th Congress of the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) in Prague.

Already available in the UK and Germany, it is now anticipated that Advagraf will be launched in ten new EU countries before the end of the year.

It was confirmed that the EU availability of the immunosuppressant would likely be a more convenient dosing option to patients who have had an organ transplant.

Research presented at the congress demonstrated that patients prescribed to once-daily medication were more than twice as likely to take it compared to a twice-daily dosing.

Professor Rutger Ploeg, secretary general of ESOT, welcomed the new formulation and insisted that it was “great news” in addressing the concerns of nonadherence.

“The current donor organ shortage crisis in the EU means that anything that will help reduce the risk of serious medical consequences associated with nonadherence in transplant recipients is most welcome,” he said.

Patients missing just a few doses of their cornerstone immunosuppressant therapy can put transplant recipients at risk of late acute graft rejection which can pose a threat to the overall survival of the graft.

Advagraf was launched in the UK and Germany in June 2007 following European commission approval in April.