Pharmacotherapeutic considerations in solid organ transplant patients with COVID-19.

Dashti-Khavidaki, Simin; Mohammadi, Keyhan; Khalili, Hossein; Abdollahi, Azin

INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide. While there are presently a few case reports/series on COVID-19 amongst solid organ transplant (SOT) patients, there is no official guideline for the management of SOT patients. AREAS COVERED The authors discuss the pharmacotherapeutic management of SOT patients during the COVID-19 outbreak and provide their expert perspectives. EXPERT OPINION Prophylactic reduction of immunosuppression because of fear of COVID-19 is not suggested in SOT patients. With maintenance immunosuppressive regimens, corticosteroids can be continued during COVID-19. Continuing other immunosuppressive drugs with lowest effective dose/blood concentration is suggested for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Discontinuation of antimetabolites and perhaps inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is suggested in moderate to severe COVID-19. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) may be continued or substituted for mTOR inhibitors with lowest therapeutic concentrations in moderate to severe COVID-19. If continued in patients with COVID-19, therapeutic drug monitoring of CNIs/mTOR inhibitors and appropriate dose reduction is recommended in co-administration with protease inhibitors, hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, or interleukin (IL)-1/IL-6 receptor antagonists. Complete blood count monitoring is recommended in patients who continue taking antimetabolites or mTOR inhibitors. Dose modification/avoidance should be considered for chloroquine, atazanavir, oseltamivir, ribavirin, anakinra, and Janus associated kinase inhibitors in patients with organ function impairment.