Certain immunosuppressants may improve quality of life for kidney transplant recipients
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Based on patient-reported outcome measures, patients on belatacept-based therapies had higher gains in quality of life 2 years after kidney transplantation than patients on tacrolimus-based regimens.
Differences in patient-reported outcomes between the two therapies following kidney transplantation have not been examined by previous trials, according to Jennifer M. Rohan, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“The [Belatacept-based Early Steroid-withdrawal Trial] BEST was designed to compare two BELA-based early steroid withdrawal regimens with a tacrolimus-based regimen across 2 years,” she said during her presentation at the virtual American Transplant Congress. “Our hypothesis was that patients on BELA-based therapies would have fewer immunosuppressant-related symptoms and improved quality of life.”
The trial included 138 patients who completed patient-reported outcomes measures at baseline, 1 year and 2 years. Rohan noted that both measures were well validated in a sample of clinical patients who had transplants.
Researchers found patients on belatacept-based therapies generally reported higher gains in quality of life across 2 years and had a lower likelihood of adverse events.
Though psychological symptoms, such as restlessness, anxiety and mood changes, were higher in patients on belatacept-based regimens compared with tacrolimus, patients on belatacept-based therapies reported neurologic, GI and mobility symptoms less frequently.
Rohan further pointed out that patients on belatacept-based regimens had a decreased risk of trembling hands across both measures, with a greater than 15% difference measured at 1 year.
“Patients on BELA-based therapies continued to have a decreased risk of trembling hands at 24-months relative to tacrolimus-based regimens,” she said.
According to Rohan, one of the strengths of the study is that findings were replicated across two different patient-reported outcome measures.
“Patient-reported outcome measures are essential to enhance patient-focused drug development,” she said. “These studies provide more evidence that these measures can support product labeling claims in transplant recipients.” – by Melissa J. Webb
Reference:
Rohan J, et al. Abstract #220. Presented at: American Transplant Congress; May 30-June 1, 2020. (virtual meeting).
Disclosure: Rohan reports no relevant financial disclosures.
Collapse
Rohan J, et al. Abstract #220. Presented at: American Transplant Congress; May 30-June 1, 2020. (virtual meeting).
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts