Comparison of CNI-based Regimen Versus CNI-free Regimen in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Inclusion Criteria: Males or females, aged \> 18 years, Maintenance renal transplant recipients at least 6 months post-transplantation, Patients with a serum creatinine \< 2,5 mg/dL stable for at least three month (according to the investigator), Females capable of becoming pregnant had to have a negative serum pregnancy test within seven days prior to or at baseline, and were required to practice an approved method of birth control for the duration of the study and for a period of six weeks following discontinuation of study medication, even where there had been a history of infertility, Patients receiving Myfortic® (Myfortic dose . 720 mg/d) and Sandimmun® Optoral with or without corticosteroids as part of their immunosuppressive regimen for at least 1 month before baseline; Exclusion Criteria: More than one previous renal transplantation, Multi-organ recipients (e.g., kidney and pancreas) or previous transplant with any other organ, different from kidney, Patient with proteinuria \> 1000 mg/day at baseline, Hypersensitivity to Certican®, Sandimmun® Optoral, Prograf®, mycophenolic acid, or other components of the formulation, Patients who had received an investigational drug within four weeks prior to baseline, Severe rejection (≥ Banff II acute rejection), recurrent acute rejection, or steroid resistant rejection within six months of enrollment, Thrombocytopenia (platelets \< 100,000/mm³), with an absolute neutrophil count of \< 1,500/mm³ or leukopenia (leukocytes \< 4,000/mm³), or hemoglobin \< 8 g/dL, Abnormal physical or laboratory findings of clinical significance within two weeks of study inclusion which at the investigator's discretion would interfere with the objectives of the study, Symptoms of significant somatic or mental illness. Inability to cooperate or communicate with the investigator, or patients who were unlikely to comply with the study requirements, or who were unable to give informed consent, History of malignancy during the last five years, except squamous or basal cell carcinoma of the skin, Patients who were HIV positive, or hepatitis C, or hepatitis B surface antigen positiveEvidence of severe liver disease (including abnormal liver enzyme profile, i.e. aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or total bilirubin \> 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN), Females of childbearing potential who were planning to become pregnant, who were pregnant or lactating and/or who were unwilling to use effective means of contraception, Presence of a clinically significant infection requiring continued therapy, severe diarrhea, active peptic ulcer disease or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus that in the opinion of the investigator would interfere with the appropriate conduct of the study, Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.