Study shows Neoral® provides kidney transplant patients with efficacy equivalent to tacrolimus and significantly lower incidence of diabetes

• New study demonstrates Neoral has equivalent efficacy to tacrolimus in preventing rejection of kidney transplants


• Results show incidence of new-onset diabetes following renal transplantation is significantly lower with Neoral than tacrolimus


• Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease - the leading cause of death in patients with a functioning graft

Basel, July 24, 2006 - A large-scale head-to-head study has shown that Neoral® (cyclosporine) and tacrolimus have equivalent efficacy in preventing organ rejection in kidney transplant patients, but those treated with Neoral had a significantly lower incidence of new-onset diabetes.

Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular death in transplant patients. The study results suggest that immunosuppressant efficacy is not the only factor to affect the long-term outcome for patients surviving organ transplantation. The findings of the study were presented today at the World Transplant Congress in Boston.

"The results of this study are especially important in view of the clear association between diabetes and the development of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in post-transplant patients with a functioning graft," said Flavio G. Vincenti, MD, a kidney and pancreas transplant specialist with the Department of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. "By demonstrating the equivalence of Neoral and tacrolimus in preventing organ rejection, this study elevates the need to address diabetes risk as a new strategy to prolong life in transplant patients."..read full news release at Novartis web site.