sandimmune

Foods & drinks to be careful with

Well-established interactions for this medicine’s drug class, summarized from public health authorities. General information, not medical advice — always confirm with your pharmacist or the label.

• Grapefruit & grapefruit juice

  Watch out for: grapefruit and grapefruit juice (and, for some drugs, Seville oranges).

  Grapefruit blocks a gut enzyme (CYP3A4) that normally breaks this medicine down, so more of it can enter your blood — raising the risk of side effects.

  What to do: Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice with this medicine unless your pharmacist or the label says it's fine — check, because not every drug in a class is affected the same way.

  Source: Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix — U.S. FDA

How long does Cyclosporine stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of cyclosporine is about 8.4 hours (range 5 to 18 hours) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This figure is for the modified formulation (Neoral). Cyclosporine's disposition from blood is biphasic; the ~8.4-hour value is the terminal (elimination) half-life, not the faster distribution phase. The older non-modified formulation (Sandimmune) has a longer terminal half-life of about 19 hours (range 10 to 27 hours), so the number depends on which product a person takes. Half-life is not the same as the drug-test/detection window — elimination is almost entirely biliary (only ~6% appears in urine), and cyclosporine is extensively metabolized to numerous metabolites, so measurable drug can persist longer than the parent half-life implies. Not a prodrug; no single active metabolite that clinically outlasts the parent.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: NEORAL (cyclosporine) capsule/oral solution — FDA label, DailyMed.

Frequently asked questions

What does Sandimmune treat?

Sandimmune (Cyclosporine) may be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, psoriasis, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How does Sandimmune work?

Sandimmune is a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant. Calcineurin inhibitors block an enzyme called calcineurin inside immune T-cells, which stops the cells from making interleukin-2 and other signaling chemicals. This keeps T-cells from activating and multiplying, dialing down the immune attack that drives organ rejection or autoimmune disease.

How is Sandimmune rated?

pharmaranks gives Sandimmune a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Sandimmune cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $52.85 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Sandimmune?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Sandimmune. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Sandimmune?

Sandimmune is marketed by Novartis. You can see Novartis's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Sandimmune a brand-name or generic drug?

Sandimmune is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Cyclosporine. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Cyclosporine are available — ask your pharmacist.

Is Sandimmune available over the counter?

No. Sandimmune is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Sandimmune come in?

Sandimmune is currently marketed as capsule and injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Sandimmune?

Sandimmune is classified as calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Sandimmune FDA-registered?

Sandimmune is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA050574. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Sandimmune been recalled by the FDA?

Sandimmune has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Sandimmune safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Sandimmune a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.