This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of EC-MPS (ERL080) in comparison to MMF in de novo heart recipients.

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female cardiac patients 18-65 years old undergoing primary heart transplantation treated with CS-ME and corticosteroids as basic immunosuppression.
• Females of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to enrollment. Effective contraception must be used during the trial and for 6 weeks following discontinuation of the study medication, even where there has been a history of infertility.
• Patients who are willing and able to participate in the full course of the study and from whom written informed consent has been obtained.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with donor hearts greater than 60 years of age and/or with cold ischemia time of more than 6 hours and/or donor hearts which have obvious coronary disease or are known to have heart disease at time of transplant.
• Patients on Left Ventricular Assist Device who have received any immunotherapy prior to transplantation or who are scheduled to receive immunotherapy thereafter.
• Patients with Panel Reactive Antibodies (PRA) 25%.
• Patients with serum creatinine 3.0mg/dL..
• Females of childbearing potential who are planning to become pregnant, who are pregnant and/or lactating, who are unwilling to use effective means of contraception.
• Patients with a history of significant coagulopathy or medical condition requiring long term anti-coagulation after transplantation (low aspirin treatment is allowed).

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply