Belatacept Benefits Seen After Kidney Transplant

Belatacept Benefits Seen After Kidney Transplant, Drug linked to better renal function versus cyclosporine, though more early acute rejection
Publish date: Feb 24, 2010

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- In adult kidney transplant patients, belatacept -- a selective costimulation blocker -- is associated with better renal function and similar patient/graft survival at one year compared to cyclosporine, with these benefits also seen in recipients of extended criteria donor kidneys, according to two studies published online Feb. 16 in the American Journal of Transplantation.

Flavio Vincenti, M.D., of the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues analyzed data from the Phase III BENEFIT study, in which 666 adults were randomized to receive cyclosporine or belatacept in a more- or less-intensive regimen. At 12 months, both belatacept regimens were associated with similar patient/graft survival as cyclosporine and better renal function. However, acute rejection episodes were more common in the belatacept groups. Safety was mostly similar in the groups, though post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder was more common with belatacept.

Antoine Durrbach, M.D., of the Bicêtre Hospital in Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France, and colleagues analyzed data from the BENEFIT-EXT study, in which adults who received a kidney from an extended criteria donor received cyclosporine or a more- or less-intensive belatacept regimen. At 12 months, patient/graft survival and acute rejection were similar between the groups. Belatacept-treated patients had better renal function, but had more post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.

"There appeared to be no additional efficacy gained using the belatacept more intensive regimen compared with the LI less intensive regimen. Belatacept is a new immunosuppressive therapy that avoids the renal and non-renal toxicities associated with calcineurin inhibitors," Vincenti and colleagues write. "Outcomes will continue to be monitored over the duration of this three-year study to help assess the overall profile of belatacept-based immunosuppression."

Bristol-Myers Squibb supported both studies. Several co-authors of each study reported relationships with Bristol-Myers Squibb or other pharmaceutical companies.

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Pathology/Belatacept-Benefits-Seen-After-Kidney-Transplant/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/658699?contextCategoryId=40150