Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressive drug used in organ transplantation, is also a treatment for several autoimmune disorders with good results. Because IC/BPS may have an autoimmune component, this medicine is being studied as a possible IC/BPS treatment. So far the results of testing in humans have been encouraging, but the drug does have many potential side-effects — some serious — so a cautionary approach is necessary and more research is needed.

Mycophenolate (CellCept) works in the body by reducing the immune system’s ability to produce certain reactions that can cause inflammation, pain, and discomfort. Mycophenolate mofetil is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients who have had an organ transplant. However, a large national study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) did not find mycophenolate mofetil to be effective for IC and the study was ultimately canceled.