Voclosporin
How Does Voclosporin Work?
SAD Study Summary :: MAD Study Summary :: QTc Study Summary
Voclosporin is an immunosuppressive drug in the class of calcineurin inhibitors.
Calcineurin is a specific enzyme (phosphatase enzyme) that can have its activity inhibited by immunosuppressive (anti rejection) drugs called calcineurin inhibitors; this includes cyclosporine (Neoral) and tacrolimus (ProGraf). Isotechnika uses this enzyme as a surrogate marker to assess the amount of immunosuppression achieved using drugs in this category.
If voclosporin is more potent than cyclosporine, a natural concern would be that it is more toxic. This slide shows the safety of voclosporin. We refer to this enhanced safety as a "therapeutic window". By definition, we have developed a drug that can be dosed to achieve an optimum therapeutic effect with minimal deleterious effects on the kidney. This therapeutic window does not exist for other drugs within the class of "calcineurin inhibitors".