Protein kinase C inhibitor sotrastaurin in de novo liver transplant recipients: a randomized phase II trial.

Efficacy and safety of protein kinase C inhibitor sotrastaurin (STN) with tacrolimus (TAC) was assessed in a 24-month, multicenter, phase II study in de novo liver transplant recipients. A total of 204 patients were randomized (1:1:1:1) to STN 200 mg b.i.d. + standard-exposure TAC (n = 50) or reduced-exposure TAC (n = 52), STN 300 mg b.i.d. + reduced-exposure TAC (n = 50), or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 1 g b.i.d. + standard-exposure TAC (control, n = 52); all with steroids. Owing to premature study termination, treatment comparisons were only conducted for Month 6. At Month 6, composite efficacy failure rates (treated biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes of Banff grade ≥1, graft loss, or death) were 25.0%, 16.5%, 20.9% and 15.9% for STN 200 mg + standard TAC, STN 200 mg + reduced TAC, STN 300 mg + reduced TAC and control groups, respectively. Median estimated glomerular filtration rates were 84.0, 83.3, 81.1 and 75.3 mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively. Gastrointestinal events (constipation, diarrhea, and nausea), infection, and tachycardia were more frequent in STN groups. More patients in STN groups experienced serious adverse events compared with the control group (62.3-70.8% vs. 51.9%). STN-based regimens were associated with a higher efficacy failure rate and higher incidence of adverse events with no significant difference in renal function between the groups.