Outcomes in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients Receiving Cellcept
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2005-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The survival of children who have received heart transplants has greatly improved over the
last ten years. One reason for this is better control over rejection. Rejection medications
require a delicate balance of enough medicine to work without causing side effects. It is a
goal to avoid both rejection and side effects from the anti-rejection medicines. Usually
several medicines are used together to prevent rejection. One of these medicines is often
Mycophenolic Acid or CellceptThis medicine has been used longer for adults than is has for
children. More information is needed on using it for children. The dose is usually determined
by the patient's weight or body surface area.
There have been some early studies of the use of Cellcept, but none have proven a
relationship between the blood level of the drug and how well it works. More also needs to be
known about how this drug works with other anti-rejection drugs and how it works in boys and
girls. This study will look more closely at proper dosing, how Cellcept works with other
anti-rejection medications, side effects, and any differences in how this medicine works in
boys and girls.
All patients in the study will be receiving Cellcept and have blood levels of the drug drawn.
Results of their usual treatment and testing will be recorded and evaluated for signs of
rejection. All the information will be analyzed. Results of this study will be reported to
transplant committees locally and nationally.