Immunosuppressive medications play a large part of the management of many pediatric illnesses.

Cyclosporine is the primary tool used to prevent rejection following solid organ and bone marrow transplantation . It has been estimated that cyclosporine is given to more than 90% of children who have received a kidney transplant in the United States.

In addition, the ability of cyclosporine to inhibit T-cell activation has been shown to have a role in the treatment of diseases such as nephrotic syndrome, refractory Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, biliary cirrhosis, aplastic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, and dermatomyositis.

Cyclosporin A is the active ingredient in the Sandoz medication Sandimmun. The Pharmaceuticals company Sandoz is now owned by Novartis http://www.pharma.novartis.com/ and they now market the product Sandimmum.

Sandimmun acts in a very specific way to suppress rejection of transplanted organs by the body's immune system.

Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)