Finding the Right Dose of an Anti-Rejection Drug After Kidney Transplant

After a kidney transplant, patients need to take medications to prevent their body from rejecting the new kidney. This trial studies tacrolimus, one of the most important of these anti-rejection drugs. The study will compare two ways of taking the medication—once daily or twice daily—and will look at blood tests and genetic information to understand why some patients need different doses than others.

Tacrolimus works well to prevent kidney rejection, but it's tricky to get the dose just right for each person. Some patients are "fast metabolizers," meaning their bodies break down the medication quickly, and they often have worse outcomes. Doctors don't yet understand why different people metabolize this medication differently, so this study aims to find out—so they can eventually personalize treatment for each transplant patient.