SOCRATES: Steroid or Cyclosporine Removal After Transplantation Using Everolimus

A Prospective, Open-label, Controlled Multicenter Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of an Induction Regimen of Cyclosporine Micro Emulsion, Enteric-coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS) and Corticosteroids, Followed by Administration of Everolimus and Enteric-coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS), With Either the Withdrawal of Cyclosporine Micro Emulsion or Corticosteroids in de Novo Kidney Transplant Recipients

The aim of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of corticosteroid discontinuation versus cyclosporine micro emulsion discontinuation in recipients receiving reduced exposure cyclosporine micro emulsion and corticosteroids plus enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) initially, changed to everolimus at 2 weeks post-transplant. These two groups will be compared to a third control group, who will receive treatment consisting of cyclosporine micro emulsion, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) and steroids.

Inclusion criteria

1. Males and females aged 18-65 years inclusive.
2. First time recipients of cadaveric, living unrelated or living related donor kidney transplants.
3. Patients who are willing and able to participate in the study and from whom written informed consent has been obtained.

Exclusion criteria

1. Patients who are recipients of multiple organ transplants, including more than one kidney, kidney and pancreas, or previous transplant with any organ other than kidney.
2. Patients at high immunological risk of graft loss, indicated by peak PRA >50% or loss of a previous renal allograft within the first 6 months of transplantation due to acute rejection.
3. Patients who have received an investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to the screening visit.
4. Presence of any severe allergy or hypersensitivity to drugs similar to everolimus (e.g. antibiotics such as Clindamycin)

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may applied