New pill could improve transplant survival rate

A new once-daily pill to help prevent organ transplant rejections could save dozens of lives a year, according to trial results.

The drug, called Advagraf, is a slow-release version of a medication called tacrolimus, and improved the survival of people with transplanted livers by eight per cent over three years.

Researchers compared 528 patients given Advagraf with almost 4,000 treated with a standard, twice-daily immunosuppressant version of the tacrolimus drug.

If the results hold up under further testing, it could mean an extra 70 people surviving of the 880 liver transplants carried out in the UK each year. It is also cheaper, at 70p per pill compared to £1.23 per tacrolimus pill.

A new trial is set to examine the effect of Advagraf on kidney transplant patients.