What is ciclosporin?

What is ciclosporin?

  • Type of drug: calcineurin inhibitor
  • Use: immunosuppressant after kidney transplant; other autoimmune disease
  • Dose: 50-100 mg twice a day (2 mg/kg per day, after first year)
  • Side-effects:
    • Diabetes – 10% of patients
    • Hair gain (hirsutes = male pattern in a woman)
    • Liver dysfunction
    • Neurological and/or psychiatric syndromes
    • Swollen gums.
  • Monitor: target blood levels 50-100 mcg/L (after first year); glucose; liver enzymes.

Note 1. Tacrolimus is an alternative drug (also a calcineurin inhibitor), with similar side effects though causes hair loss
Note 2. Ciclosporin is often used in combination with prednisolone, mycophenolate (or azathioprine), and an IL-2 receptor inhibitors such as basiliximab
Note 3. As with all immunosuppression, skin protection (against skin cancer) is important
Note 4. Can be given IV at one-third oral dose, given by infusion over 2-6 hours.

Other resources

CKD drug side-effects
CKD patient information (CKD Explained 30+ core articles)
Ciclosporin (BNF)
Ciclosporin (UHCW patient information)
Renal transplantation (UHCW patient information)
This is a review article: Tapla, 2023

 

Last Reviewed on 5 May 2024

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