Review of major clinical trial with mycophenolate mofetil in renal transplantation

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was approved for the prevention of acute rejection following renal transplantation based on the results of three groundbreaking, large, clinical trials that demonstrated a significantly reduced risk of acute rejection in patients receiving MMF when compared with those receiving placebo or azathioprine. These three multicenter, prospective, double-blind trials performed at 55 transplant centers on three continents were the largest immunosuppressive drug trials ever attempted and the first prospective, randomized, double-blind trials ever performed in transplantation. These pivotal trials established a foundation for widespread acceptance of MMF in combination with cyclosporine and steroids as a maintenance regimen for renal transplant patients. The findings of these initial trials that led to the approval of MMF for renal transplantation, including long-term follow-up data, will be reviewed in this paper. The expanding scope of major trials of MMF, including trials in pediatric patients, combination regimens with novel induction therapies or other maintenance agents, and trials in special patient populations such as those at high immunological risk or with deteriorating kidney function, will also be discussed.