Neoral or Sandione are brand names for Cyclosporine-A.
Like many other immunosuppressant and chemotherapy drugs, Sandione kills or slows the T-Cells.
Cyclosporine-A first received attention when it was shown to significantly reduce rejection rates in organ transplantation. Unlike most immune suppressing drugs, it appears to have a specific action against, primarily, one type of white blood cell, the helper T cells. Since there is some evidence that these cells are abnormally active during acute exacerbations of MS, and since it has been shown to be effective in treating other autoimmune diseases in humans and EAE (the animal model of MS), cyclosporine was tried in a double blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with progressive MS.
The study enrolled almost 600 men and women and followed them for two years. Many variables were studied, such as clinical status, functional abilities, blood, spinal fluid, and MRI scans. Those patients who received Neoral had a slightly (but statistically significant) slower rate of disease progression than the placebo group. There were no significant differences in ability to perform activities of daily living, and no change in MRI or spinal fluid test results.
Other brand names for Cyclosporine-A may include:
- Sandimmune
- Sangstat
- SangCya
- Rhoxal-Cyclosporine
- Apo-Cyclosporine
It should be noted that in, in general, the different brands are not interchangeable.
Sandione may be another brand name but recent investigation, on my part, has revealed nothing to support this, so it may be discontinued. There are a few references to it on the Web, but I still think it is an old name.
