Pharmacokinetic study of mycophenolic acid in Iranian kidney transplant patients

The purpose of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetic parameters of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in Iranian kidney transplant patients. Plasma MPA concentration of mycophenolate mofetile (MMF) 1 gram two times a day was measured in 21 Iranian kidney transplant recipients receiving treatment. Patients who entered the study had been transplanted for more than 3 months and their drug level was supposed to be at steady state. MMF concentration was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The plasma MPA concentration-time curve was characterized by an early sharp peak at about 1 hour postdose. The mean Area Under Curve (AUC), Cmax and Tmax were 47.0±18.3 µg.h/ml, 18.6±8.5 µg/ml and 1.0±0.5 hours respectively. The plasma MPA concentration-time curve pattern of Iranian patients was similar and consistent with previously reported profiles in other populations taking the same dose.