The role and efficacy of sirolimus

In two major studies involving1,295 kidney transplant patients, sirolimus was more effective than placebo or azathioprine, another immunosuppressive drug. All patients were treated with cyclosporine and corticosteroids and were at low to moderate risk of rejection. The main indicator of effectiveness was the number of treatment failures (rejection or loss of a new kidney, or death) after 6 months.

In the first study,19% of patients who added sirolimus failed treatment after six months, compared with 32% of patients who added azathioprine. In the second study, 30% of patients who added sirolimus failed, compared with 48% of patients who added placebo. Two other studies looked at continued treatment with sirolimus for up to 5 years in 765 patients who were able to discontinue cyclosporine after 2 to 3 months. Sirolimus was effective in helping the new kidney survive, and when cyclosporine treatment was stopped, its working improved, as did blood pressure.

In a study involving81 patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (S-LAM), sirolimus was more effective than placebo in improving lung function. The primary measure of effectiveness is the change in FEV1 (the maximum amount of air a person can exhale in 1 second). FEV1 improved by an average of 1 ml per month in patients treated with sirolimus, while it worsened by 12 ml per month in patients treated with placebo.

SirolimusThe original drug has been launched in China and has entered the scope of Class B medical insurance. SpecificationsThe price of each box of 1mg*10 tablets is around RMB 400. The original sirolimus drug has also been launched overseas. The price of the Turkish version of Specifications1mg*100 tablets per box is around RMB 2,000 (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). The ingredients of the original drugs marketed in China are basically the same as those of foreign original drugs. Currently, there are no generic sirolimus drugs produced in other countries.