Envarsus XR Compared to Immediate Release Tacrolimus

Despite improvement in short-term graft outcomes in organ transplant, transplant patients still have to take on complex medication regimens to achieve current results. Adherence to these complex medications is an important problem in light of the potential risk of acute and chronic rejection and the associated burden of increased hospitalization, cost, and diminished quality of life that results from missed doses and poor overall drug taking. Part of the diminished quality of life is also tied to the bothersome symptoms patient feel after transplant. Most patients experience symptoms that relate to either the overall transplant immunosuppression or medication specific side effects. In the BENEFIT and BENEFIT-EXT trials, \>60% of patients reported tiredness and lack of energy as an issue. Sleep problems, mood swings, restlessness, anxiety, depression, and concentration and memory difficulties appeared in approximately 50-60% of patients. In addition to these symptoms, \>38% patients also reported numerous others side effects that have been strongly associated with calcineurin-inhibitors such as tacrolimus that include dizziness, muscle cramps, trembling hands, tingling in hands and feet, and headache. The investigators hypothesize that the use of once-daily Envarsus XR® could decrease some transplant- and tacrolimus-related adverse symptoms and potentially lead to improvement in quality of life and medication adherence when compared to twice-daily tacrolimus. In order to assess this hypothesis, a prospective, multi-center, randomized, open-label, pilot study to investigate medication adherence and patient reported symptom occurrence and interference with daily life comparing once-daily Envarsus XR® and twice-daily immediate release tacrolimus in adult renal transplant recipients (SIMPLE) is being proposed.