Transplanted kidneys from living donors survive longer with Neoral compared with ...( Lead investigator Dr. S...),Health

Lead investigator Dr. Steven Takemoto, of the UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, commented: "Outcomes data are an accurate reflection of how different therapies perform in the real world. It is important to know the longer-term effect of different immunosuppressive treatments on survival of transplanted organs.

Analysis of data from transplant registries provides an opportunity to examine outcomes from many thousands of patients over an extended time period, provided the data are statistically adjusted to match the two groups as closely as possible in terms of other criteria, such as patient and donor age, race, sex and genetic compatibility. Using this approach, our study indicated a clear advantage for Neoral versus the main alternative, tacrolimus, in prolonging the survival of transplanted kidneys from living donors."

Anne Frankton, a transplant coordinator at Nottingham City Hospital, UK, commented: "Living donor transplantation is a huge emotional and physical investment for both the patient and donor. The loss of a transplanted kidney is a devastating event under any circumstances but is particularly traumatic in the case of living donors who have donated one of their kidneys to help a loved one and endured major surgery in the process. For the person losing the transplant it means a return to the ordeal of regular dialysis, involving hours hooked up to a blood-cleaning machine three times a week and the consequent impairment of their independence and quality of life. It is therefore vital that studies like this are undertaken to help doctors find ways to reduce the risk of transplant failure."

Approximately 30,000 people in Europe and the US receive kidney transplants each year, a significant number of these are from living donors.2 Immunosuppressive treatment is vital to prevent the body rejecting the new organ. Neoral is the main component of current immunosuppressive treatment strategies in transplant
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Contact: Kajsa McLaren
kajsa.mclaren@shirehealthinternational.com
44-20-7471-1515
Shire Health International
3-Jun-2003