Kidney Transplant Care

Overview

After a kidney transplant, the immune system can recognize the new kidney as foreign and attack it. This is called rejection. Everyone with a transplant needs lifelong anti-rejection medicine. Most of these medicines are daily pills; Nulojix is an IV infusion option for some adults.

Who May Be a Candidate

• Adults who have received a kidney transplant
• People who have tested positive for past Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, which is required
• Patients whose transplant team prescribes it together with other anti-rejection medicines

When to Contact a Provider

Contact your transplant team promptly about fever, less urine than usual, swelling, pain over the transplanted kidney, or flu-like symptoms. These can be signs of rejection or infection.

How Treatment May Help

Nulojix (belatacept) blocks a signal that T cells need to become fully active. Used with other anti-rejection medicines (basiliximab at the start, mycophenolate and corticosteroids), it may help prevent rejection of the new kidney.

Therapies That May Be Available at Infuse Care

• Nulojix (belatacept): IV infusion; given more often in the first months after transplant, then every four weeks

Safety and Monitoring

Nulojix carries a boxed warning for an increased risk of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a type of cancer that most often affects the brain. That is why it is used only in people who have had EBV. It also raises the risk of serious infections and skin cancer, so sun protection is important. It is not used for liver transplants.

Keep all lab appointments so your transplant team can watch how the kidney is working.

Your prescribing provider decides which treatment is right for you. Infuse Care administers prescribed therapies after a referral, a clinical review and any required insurance authorization, and we keep your provider's office updated on your care.