Simulect
® (
basiliximab) is a prescription medication approved to prevent the body from rejecting a newly transplanted kidney. It is used in combination with other anti-rejection medications, including
cyclosporine (
Gengraf®,
Neoral®,
Sandimmune®) and a corticosteroid.
Who Makes This Medication?
Simulect is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Transplant rejection occurs when the immune system recognizes a transplanted organ as foreign and attacks it. T lymphocytes (a white blood cell type, sometimes simply called T cells) are an important part of the immune response involved in transplant rejection.
An antibody is a protein made by the immune system. Antibodies attach to substances in the body called antigens. Simulect is a manufactured antibody designed to bind to a specific antigen (known as CD25) found on the surface of T cells. Normally, interleukin-2 (a protein made by the body) binds to CD25 and stimulates T cells to mature and divide.
By binding to CD25, Simulect blocks the action of interleukin-2, thus preventing T cells from multiplying. This decreases the number of T cells in the body and reduces the risk for transplant rejection.
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