Pharmacokinetics of LCP-Tacro™ Once Daily and Prograf® Twice A Day in Adult De Novo Liver Transplant Patients

This was a randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multicenter study in adult de novo liver transplant patients to demonstrate the pharmacokinetics and safety of once-daily treatment of LCP-Tacro tablets and twice-daily Prograf capsules in the first 2 weeks after live transplantation. The study also compared the efficacy and safety of LCP-Tacro and Prograf over an additional 50 weeks after liver transplantation. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1 ratio) within 72 hours after transplantation (graft reperfusion) to receive either: 1) LCP-Tacr tablets orally once daily (QD) in the morning, with an interval of 24 +/- 1 hours between dosed, starting at 0.07 to 0.11 mg/kg (the starting daily dose for African-American patients was 0.09 to 0.13 mg/kg), or 2) Prograf capsules in 2 equally divided morning and evening doses, starting at 0.10 to 0.15 mg. Subsequent doses of study medications were to be adjusted by the investigator according to local practice to maintain a target whole blood tacrolimus trough level of 5 to 20 ng/mL thought Day 14. Twenty-four-hour pharmacokinetic assessments were performed on Days 1, 7 and 14; additionally whole blood tacrolimus trough levels for statistical analysis were measured on Days 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 12, 42, 90, 120, 180, 270, and 360. Physicians could also perform tacrolimus trough levels at other times at their discretion. On Day 360, the patients were placed on maintenance immunosuppressive regimen determined by their treating physician. Following completion of the third and final pharmacokinetic assessment on Day 14, patients entered the maintenance phase (Days 15 to 360) of study and remained on their assigned study medication until Day 360. Visits for safety assessments and tacrolimus trough levels during the maintenance phase were on Days 42, 90, 120, 180, 270 and 360. Immunosuppressive therapy after the conclusion of the study was to be administered at the discretion of the patient's population.