Conditions: Renal Transplantation
Keywords: Steroids avoidance, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS), de novo renal transplantation
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 222
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of a steroid avoidance regimen in comparison with steroid treatment in combination with an initially higher dose of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) and cyclosporine microemulsion in de novo renal transplant recipients. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive either EC-MPS or steroids in combination with EC-MPS. Patients of both treatment groups will receive monoclonal antibody induction therapy and a perioperative bolus of steroids and cyclosporine.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Patients received Enteric-coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS), administered orally 2 times a day for 6 months. Patients also received cyclosporine and a dose of methylprednisolone immediately after transplantation, but did not subsequently receive oral corticosteroids for the remainder of the study. arm 2: Patients received Enteric-coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS), administered orally 2 times a day for 6 months. Patients also received cyclosporine and a dose of methylprednisolone immediately after transplantation, and subsequently continued to receive daily oral prednisone.

Interventions: intervention 1: Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) intervention 2: Prednisone
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: An initial dose of 1080 mg EC-MPS was administered immediately before transplantation. Then, during the first 6 weeks post-transplantation, EC-MPS was administered at a dose of 1080 mg twice a day 12 hours apart. From week 7 until the end of the study (month 6), EC-MPS was administered at standard dose of 720 mg twice a day. intervention 2: Oral tablets

Protocol document: