Improved Induction and Maintenance Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplantation
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This 2 x 2 sequential factorial study evaluates two potential improvements to the standard
immunosuppression regimen used at the investigators' institution to prevent rejection of
transplanted kidneys. These two potential improvements are each applied in sequence to half
of the study patients, creating 4 study arms; the other half receive the standard treatment.
The two potential improvements are:
1. Administering the immunosuppression induction agent rATG ("rabbit anti-thymocyte
globulin") in a single dose at the time of transplantation, instead of in the usual
series of 4 smaller doses over 6 days.
2. After 6 months, modifying the maintenance immunosuppression used to prevent rejection by
replacing the drug tacrolimus with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
The two interventions, spaced sequentially six months apart, enable independent analysis of
the two treatments so long as it can be shown that there is no synergistic interaction
between them.