Researchers conducted an early-stage study to see if a two-drug combination could safely prevent rejection in adults who received a kidney transplant. The study included 23 patients who got a first-time transplant from a living or deceased donor. The drugs, dazodalibep and belatacept, were given as the only long-term therapy to try to stop the body's immune system from attacking the new kidney.
In this small, open-label study, doctors tracked patients for 24 weeks. They found that 5 out of 20 patients (25%) still had a treated rejection episode that was confirmed by a kidney biopsy. The study's main goal, which was a combined measure of rejection, graft loss, or death, was not met. However, no patients experienced a specific type of rejection called antibody-mediated rejection, and kidney function was similar for those with and without rejection.
The treatment was generally safe and well-tolerated, with most patients experiencing at least one side effect. It's important to be cautious because this was a very small, early-phase study with no comparison group. Without comparing the drug combination to standard treatments, we cannot know if it is better or worse. Readers should understand this is a first look at a potential therapy, and much more research is needed before it could be considered for regular use.