Mycophenolate mofetil - A useful immunosuppressive in inflammatory eye disease

Objective: To assess the usefulness of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (Cellcept, Roche), a potent selective uncompetitive and reversible inhibitor of ionisine monophosphate dehydrogenase involved in purine synthesis, as an immunosuppressive and steroid-sparing agent in the management of ocular inflammatory disease. Design: Open-label, prospective, uncontrolled pilot study. Participants: Eleven patients with uncontrolled ocular inflammation. Intervention: Mycophenolate mofetil, at a dosage of 1 g twice daily, was given in conjunction with steroids, as a steroid-sparing agent, or as an additional agent with cyclosporine (CsA), or instead of CsA or azathioprine, Main Outcome Measures: The inflammatory response, side effects, and toxicity were monitored, Results: The addition of MMF to immunosuppressive regimens led to the improvement in symptoms and the ability to reduce the dose of prednisone in most patients. Ten of 11 patients showed a favorable response to MMF, with few side effects noted, Conclusion: These findings suggest that MMF is a useful immunosuppressive drug for controlling ocular inflammation with minimal side effects.