Treatment of recurrent heart rejection with mycophenolate mofetil (RS-61443): initial clinical experience

Mycophenolate mofetil (RS-61443), a derivative of mycophenolic acid, is a new immunosuppressive agent that inhibits de novo purine synthesis in activated lymphocytes. In a clinical trial of mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of recurrent or persistent heart rejection, 17 patients 0.6 to 104 months (median 5.4 months) after transplantation received a daily oral dose of mycophenolate mofetil of 3000 mg, with seven patients increasing to 3500 mg daily. Azathioprine was routinely discontinued at the start of mycophenolate mofetil treatment. One patient in shock from acute rejection required retransplantation before starting mycophenolate mofetil and died 68 days later of cytomegalovirus sepsis. Another patient died 72 days after mycophenolate mofetil of protracted multisystem failure (present before mycophenolate mofetil). One patient required early cessation of mycophenolate mofetil, and the other 14 patients were alive and well 5 to 10 months after initiating mycophenolate mofetil treatment. Three patients required transient dose reduction and one patient required discontinuation of mycophenolate mofetil because of nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps. No other clinical side effects were noted. Frequency of rejection decreased from 0.67 rejection episodes per patient per month before mycophenolate mofetil to 0.27 rejection episodes per patient per month after mycophenolate mofetil (p < 0.0001). Frequency of infection was unchanged after mycophenolate mofetil (p = 0.9). Renal function was not affected by mycophenolate mofetil (creatinine clearance 1.8 mg/dl before mycophenolate mofetil vs 1.7 mg/dl after mycophenolate mofetil; p = 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)