Cost-effective immunosuppressive options for solid organ transplantation: a guide to lower cost for the renal transplant recipient in the USA

Abstract

Of the numerous risks associated with immunotherapy for the prevention of rejection, cost is perhaps the most universal. In the USA and some other countries, the costs of immunosuppression make transplantation unavailable for some medically viable transplant candidates, and for others who receive a transplant, the long-term costs are economically crippling. Minimization and tapering of immunosuppression, use of generics, manipulation of metabolism, infection surveillance instead of prophylaxis, and advantageous routes of administration are some strategies that can be employed to reduce immunotherapy expense. Using these strategies, we describe an immunosuppression regimen for kidney transplantation that might be only a third of the cost of current ‘standard’ regimens in the USA. Such a regimen might allow some patients who might not otherwise qualify economically to safely receive a kidney transplant. The purpose of creating an alternative, lower-cost immunotherapy regimen is to give patients a choice. Responsible stewardship of scarce donor organs is the primary, and clearly appropriate, limiting factor.