mycophenolate

Mycophenolate is an immunosuppressive drug primarily used to prevent organ transplant rejection (kidney, heart, liver) and to treat various autoimmune diseases such as lupus nephritis and vasculitis. It is most commonly administered as the prodrug mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), which is rapidly converted in the body to its active form, mycophenolic acid. The drug acts as a reversible inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), thereby blocking de novo guanosine nucleotide synthesis—a pathway critical for T- and B-lymphocyte proliferation. This selective inhibition suppresses immune responses while sparing other cell types that can use salvage pathways for purine synthesis. Mycophenolate is classified as a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) when used in autoimmune conditions[1][2][4][5].

Brand names

CellCeptMyhibbinMyclausenMyfenax

Other names

mycophenolate mofetilmycophenolic acid morpholinoethyl ester