Rapamune
® (
sirolimus) is a prescription medication that belongs to a class of drugs called immunosuppressants. It is approved for use in combination with other medicines to prevent organ rejection after a kidney transplant.
Who Makes This Medication?
Rapamune is made by Pfizer, Inc., and distributed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc.
Transplant rejection occurs when the immune system recognizes a transplanted organ is not a normal part of the body and tries to get rid of it. Rapamune is an "immunosuppressant" medication. It works by decreasing the activity of the immune system, thus helping to prevent transplant rejection from occurring.
Clinical Effects of Rapamune
Rapamune has been shown to reduce the risk for kidney transplant rejection in clinical studies. In one study, 19 percent of people given Rapamune experienced a rejection episode within six months of their transplantation surgery, compared with 41 percent of people given a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredients).
In another study, 11 percent of those taking Rapamune had transplant rejection within six months, compared with 29 percent of people taking a different anti-rejection medicine,
azathioprine (
Imuran®). In both studies, Rapamune was given in combination with
cyclosporine and a corticosteroid medicine.
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