Immunosuppression with tacrolimus (FK 506) and cyclosporin A for preventing graft rejection after liver transplantation. Retrospective evaluation of medical costs based on the FG-O157 Study in 224 patients (Germany)

Abstract

The objective of this retrospective analysis was the evaluation of direct/medical costs of immunosuppressive treatment with tacrolimus (FK 506) and cyclosporin A in liver transplantation. The analysis was based on data from the german centers of a pan-European clinical trial where all given drugs as well as all serious events, graft reactions and the number of transplantations were documented. The costs of the treatment with tacrolimus were DM 158,276 per patient; those for cyclosporin A were DM 176,392. The main reason for the difference was the amount and types of drugs administered. The direct costs per surviving patient were in the tacrolimus group DM 192,314 (20 of 113 patients) and in the cyclosporin A group DM 227,669 (25 of 111 patients). The cost-effectiveness ratio for tacrolimus is about 15.5% better than for cyclosporin A.