JUNE 2009

BENEFIT Findings Presented at ATC

Dr. Chris Larsen and his colleagues presented the one-year findings from BENEFIT (Belatacept Evaluation of Nephoprotection and Efficacy as First-Line Immunosuppression Trial) at the 2009 American Transplant Congress in Boston on June 2. A three-year, randomized, phase III trial, BENEFIT showed that belatacept (a form of immunoglobin, which helps boost white blood cell production) works as well as the traditional immunosuppressive therapy of cyclosporine in maintaining renal function in kidney transplant recipients, despite a higher rate and severity of acute rejection.

The patients were randomized into three groups of recipients, including those who received a more intensive regimen of belatacept, those who received a less intensive regimen of belatacept, and those who received cyclosporine.

The study found that the patients receiving belatacept had the same patient/graft survival rates as those receiving cyclosporine, but belatacept patients had much better kidney function and better cardiovascular/metabolic profiles than cyclosporine patients. Also, belatacept was tolerated better and was safer than cyclosporine. However, cyclosporine was found to provide a lower rate and grade of acute rejection.

The researchers noted that the impact of acute rejection on the transplanted kidney's function and survival at 12 months was limited. Since there is a need for improved immunosuppressants, they will continue to assess the patients over the three years of the trial.

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