Lipid Management in Renal Transplant Recipients Using Evolocumab.

Summary

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality after renal transplantation, accounting for more than 30% of deaths. Elevated lipid levels (hyperlipidemia) are a frequent finding following transplantation and the immunosuppressive medications play a central role in the development or worsening of hyperlipidemia. In the general population, the correlation between elevated serum cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease is well established and the reduction in serum LDL cholesterol has proved to significantly reduce both morbidity and mortality. Statin based drugs are the standard of care in the management of hyperlipidemia. Commonly used statin-based drugs include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor), and pitavastatin (Livalo). These drugs have been proven to lower lipid levels as well as cardiovascular risk. However, statin-based drugs also cause a variety of side effects. While the most commonly encountered side effects are toxicity to the liver and muscles, a few others have also been known to cause increased excretion of protein in the urine and kidney failure. These side effects are also more common in a renal transplant recipient due to the simultaneous administration of drugs that prevent rejection. Therefore, there is an emergent need for newer drugs which are both efficient and safe especially in this population PCSK-9 inhibitors (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kinase-9 inhibitors) are a new class of drugs that are highly efficient in lowering lipid levels in the general population. However, an exclusive trial involving kidney transplant recipients is yet to be done. Through this study, we would like to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Evolocumab (trade name: Repatha) which is a PCSK-9 inhibitor developed by Amgen, Inc in renal transplant recipients. The study would involve a total of 120 patients across 3 different hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts.

Timeline

Start

2021-02-17

Primary completion

2024-01-11

Completion

2025-05-14

Publications

• Background El-Zoghby ZM, Stegall MD, Lager DJ, Kremers WK, Amer H, Gloor JM, Cosio FG. Identifying specific causes of kidney allograft loss. Am J Transplant. 2009 Mar;9(3):527-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2008.02519.x. Epub 2008 Feb 3.
• Background Israni AK, Snyder JJ, Skeans MA, Peng Y, Maclean JR, Weinhandl ED, Kasiske BL; PORT Investigators. Predicting coronary heart disease after kidney transplantation: Patient Outcomes in Renal Transplantation (PORT) Study. Am J Transplant. 2010 Feb;10(2):338-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02949.x.
• Background Gonyea JE, Anderson CF. Weight change and serum lipoproteins in recipients of renal allografts. Mayo Clin Proc. 1992 Jul;67(7):653-7. doi: 10.1016/s0025-6196(12)60720-4.
• Background Gaston RS, Kasiske BL, Fieberg AM, Leduc R, Cosio FC, Gourishankar S, Halloran P, Hunsicker L, Rush D, Matas AJ. Use of cardioprotective medications in kidney transplant recipients. Am J Transplant. 2009 Aug;9(8):1811-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02696.x. Epub 2009 Jun 10.
• Background Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaboration; Baigent C, Blackwell L, Emberson J, Holland LE, Reith C, Bhala N, Peto R, Barnes EH, Keech A, Simes J, Collins R. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet. 2010 Nov 13;376(9753):1670-81. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61350-5. Epub 2010 Nov 8.
• Background Holdaas H, Fellstrom B, Cole E, Nyberg G, Olsson AG, Pedersen TR, Madsen S, Gronhagen-Riska C, Neumayer HH, Maes B, Ambuhl P, Hartmann A, Staffler B, Jardine AG; Assessment of LEscol in Renal Transplantation (ALERT) Study Investigators. Long-term cardiac outcomes in renal transplant recipients receiving fluvastatin: the ALERT extension study. Am J Transplant. 2005 Dec;5(12):2929-36. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.01105.x.
• Background Olyaei A, Greer E, Delos Santos R, Rueda J. The efficacy and safety of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors in chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011 Mar;6(3):664-78. doi: 10.2215/CJN.09091010. Epub 2011 Mar 10.
• Background McKenney JM, Davidson MH, Jacobson TA, Guyton JR; National Lipid Association Statin Safety Assessment Task Force. Final conclusions and recommendations of the National Lipid Association Statin Safety Assessment Task Force. Am J Cardiol. 2006 Apr 17;97(8A):89C-94C. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.02.030. Epub 2006 Feb 28.
• Background Neuvonen PJ, Niemi M, Backman JT. Drug interactions with lipid-lowering drugs: mechanisms and clinical relevance. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Dec;80(6):565-81. doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2006.09.003.
• Background Lemahieu WP, Hermann M, Asberg A, Verbeke K, Holdaas H, Vanrenterghem Y, Maes BD. Combined therapy with atorvastatin and calcineurin inhibitors: no interactions with tacrolimus. Am J Transplant. 2005 Sep;5(9):2236-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.01005.x.
• Background de Jonge H, de Loor H, Verbeke K, Vanrenterghem Y, Kuypers DR. In vivo CYP3A activity is significantly lower in cyclosporine-treated as compared with tacrolimus-treated renal allograft recipients. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Sep;90(3):414-22. doi: 10.1038/clpt.2011.130. Epub 2011 Jul 13.
• Background Kasiske B, Cosio FG, Beto J, Bolton K, Chavers BM, Grimm R Jr, Levin A, Masri B, Parekh R, Wanner C, Wheeler DC, Wilson PW; National Kidney Foundation. Clinical practice guidelines for managing dyslipidemias in kidney transplant patients: a report from the Managing Dyslipidemias in Chronic Kidney Disease Work Group of the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative. Am J Transplant. 2004;4 Suppl 7:13-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6135.2004.0355.x.
• Background Alsheikh-Ali AA, Ambrose MS, Kuvin JT, Karas RH. The safety of rosuvastatin as used in common clinical practice: a postmarketing analysis. Circulation. 2005 Jun 14;111(23):3051-7. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.555482. Epub 2005 May 23.
• Background Wanner C, Tonelli M; Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Lipid Guideline Development Work Group Members. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Lipid Management in CKD: summary of recommendation statements and clinical approach to the patient. Kidney Int. 2014 Jun;85(6):1303-9. doi: 10.1038/ki.2014.31. Epub 2014 Feb 19.

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