New anti-rejection medication 6-month results for heart transplant recipients to be released

New clinical trial results for heart transplant patients will be released at the upcoming International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) 27th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions at the Hilton San Francisco, April 25-28, 2007.

Results show promise for efficacy and safety of immunosuppression therapy and lower incidences of acute organ rejection in heart transplants.

Research to be presented includes: -- Six Month Data on Cyclosporine Reduction and Impact on Renal Function with Everolimus In De Novo Heart Transplant Recipients will be presented Wednesday, April 25 during a luncheon symposium at 12:30pm PDT. -- 6 Month Data from a 12 Month Study of Everolimus with Reduced Cyclosporine Exposure vs. MMF and Conventional Cyclosporine in De Novo Heart Transplant Recipients will be presented during the same luncheon symposium on April 25.

The leading cause of death during the first year following heart transplant is acute rejection of the transplanted organ. The patient's immune system attacks the heart as if it were a foreign object until it no longer functions properly. The one-year survival rate after transplantation is approximately 80 percent; this number drops to nearly 50 percent after 10 years.

http://www.ishlt.org/.