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Jill Morton
Kidney Transplant Recipient (2003)
You may recognize Jill Morton from the US and World Transplant Games, where she earned the gold medal for women's singles tennis four times over. What you may not know is that, in addition to being a single, working mother living successfully with a transplant, Jill is an inspiring advocate for transplantation—both on the court and off.
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Jill's transplant story
Both Jill and her mother were diagnosed with a genetic disorder, called polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Years after her mother's PKD necessitated a kidney transplant, a pregnancy-related spike in Jill's blood pressure caused complications with her kidney function until she, too, was in need of a new kidney. But thanks to the generosity of a Good Samaritan donor halfway across the world, and the support of her transplant team, Jill was able to receive her transplant in 2003 with few complications.
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Honoring her remarkable gift
Learning from her mother's personal journey with transplantation, Jill immediately understood the importance of the remarkable gift she had been given and continued to maintain a healthy lifestyle: eating right, exercising, and, especially, taking her medications exactly as her physician directed. Jill's physician has determined that Jill should continue to take brand name Prograf and as a result she takes the time to communicate that to her pharmacist, transplant coordinator, and insurance provider. This ensures Jill will receive the brand name Prograf® (tacrolimus) capsules intended for her by her doctor.
What is Prograf?
PROGRAF is a prescription medicine used with other medicines to help prevent organ rejection in people who have had a kidney, liver, or heart transplant. PROGRAF is not for use with medicines called cyclosporines (Gengraf®, Neoral®, and Sandimmune®) and is not for use with a medicine called sirolimus (Rapamune®) in people who have had a liver or heart transplant. It is not known if PROGRAF is safe and effective when used with sirolimus in people who have had kidney transplants. It is not known if PROGRAF is safe and effective in children who have had kidney or heart transplants.
Important Safety Information
What is the most important information I should know about Prograf?
Prograf can cause serious side effects, including:
1. Increased risk of cancer. People who take Prograf have an increased risk of getting some kinds of cancer, including skin and lymph gland cancer (lymphoma).
2. Increased risk of infection. Prograf is a medicine that affects your immune system. Prograf can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Serious infections can happen in people receiving Prograf that can cause death.
Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an infection such as fever, sweats or chills, cough or flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, and/or warm, red, or painful areas on your skin.
Additional Important Safety Information
The Prograf: Value Card* helps make it possible
Fortunately, the Prograf: Value Card, which instantly saves her up to $200* a month per strength on her Prograf refills, gives her one less thing to worry about at the pharmacy. In fact, Jill encourages other privately insured members of the transplant community to take advantage of this free program, especially “in these tough economic times, when people can't even afford their medications, much less have the luxury of staying on the brand name drug they've been prescribed.”
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For Jill, the Prograf: Value Card helps her afford brand name Prograf. Jill would like to thank Astellas Pharma US, Inc., wholeheartedly.
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Jill's latest transplant adventure
In her continued effort to spread transplant awareness, Jill is promoting her new documentary, “Going for Gold: A Celebration of Life.” Watch Jill as she trains for the 2011 World Transplant Games, competes alongside transplant recipients and donors from across the world, and proudly represents Team USA in tennis, cycling, and track!
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What is Prograf?
PROGRAF is a prescription medicine used with other medicines to help prevent organ rejection in people who have had a kidney, liver, or heart transplant. PROGRAF is not for use with medicines called cyclosporines (Gengraf®, Neoral®, and Sandimmune®) and is not for use with a medicine called sirolimus (Rapamune®) in people who have had a liver or heart transplant. It is not known if PROGRAF is safe and effective when used with sirolimus in people who have had kidney transplants. It is not known if PROGRAF is safe and effective in children who have had kidney or heart transplants.
Important Safety Information
What is the most important information I should know about Prograf?
Prograf can cause serious side effects, including:
1. Increased risk of cancer. People who take Prograf have an increased risk of getting some kinds of cancer, including skin and lymph gland cancer (lymphoma).
2. Increased risk of infection. Prograf is a medicine that affects your immune system. Prograf can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Serious infections can happen in people receiving Prograf that can cause death.
Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an infection such as fever, sweats or chills, cough or flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, and/or warm, red, or painful areas on your skin.
Do not take PROGRAF if you are allergic to tacrolimus or any of the ingredients in PROGRAF.
Before you take PROGRAF, tell your doctor if you: plan to receive any live vaccines, have or have had liver, kidney or heart problems, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. PROGRAF may harm your unborn baby and can pass into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take PROGRAF or breastfeed. You should not do both.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. PROGRAF may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how PROGRAF works. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
How Should I Take PROGRAF?
Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking PROGRAF. Take PROGRAF exactly as your doctor tells you to take it. Take PROGRAF with or without food and the same way and time every day. If you take too much PROGRAF, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
PROGRAF may cause serious side effects, including:
high blood sugar (diabetes), kidney problems, nervous system problems, high levels of potassium in your blood, high blood pressure, or heart problems (myocardial hypertrophy). Call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms: frequent urination, increased thirst or hunger, blurred vision, confusion, drowsiness, loss of appetite, fruity smell on your breath, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle tremors, numbness and tingling, headache, seizures, vision changes, shortness of breath, chest pain, feel lightheaded, or feel faint.
The most common side effects of PROGRAF are: tremors (shaking of the body); high blood pressure; kidney problems; diarrhea; headache; stomach pain; trouble sleeping; nausea; pain; weakness or low red blood cell count (anemia); infection; constipation; low levels of phosphate in your blood; swelling of the hands, ankles, or legs; high levels of fat or potassium in your blood; numbness or tingling in your hands or feet; fever; or low levels of magnesium in the blood.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of PROGRAF. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see the Patient Prescribing Information and Full Prescribing Information for additional safety information.
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*
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Subject to eligibility. Restrictions may apply. Offer not valid for residents of Massachusetts and those who participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federal- or state-funded pharmaceutical benefit program. Savings apply to each strength of Prograf prescribed.
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†
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© 2011 Astellas Pharma US, Inc. 011H-032-4112-1 10/11
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Reference: 1. Data on file.
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Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
3 Parkway North
Deerfield, IL 60015-2548
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