C1INH Inhibitor Preoperative and Post Kidney Transplant to Prevent DGF & IRI

Overview

The use of C1INH (Berinert) in patients receiving deceased donor kidney transplants with high risk for delayed graft function (DGF) may show significant improvement in outcomes post transplant compared with patients that do not receive C1INH treatment. Complement activation has been detected in animal models and human kidneys with ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) and inflammatory cell infiltrates. By blocking complement activation the investigators hope to improve kidney graft function post transplant in these recipients.

Early graft function has a long-term effect on graft survival. Poor early graft function and delayed graft function (DGF) contributes to decreased short- and long-term patient and graft survival, increased incidence of acute rejection, prolonged hospitalization, and higher costs of transplantation. Although multiple factors contribute to the impaired graft function, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the underlying pathophysiology leading to poor early graft function and DGF. A \>35% incidence of DGF has remained constant over time despite significant improvements in immunosuppressive strategies and patient management. This may be due to increased use of kidneys from "extended-criteria" and/or non-heart-beating donors, where even greater rates (\>60%) of DGF have been reported. More than 96,680 people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States (United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS); UNOS.org 3/22/13). Of the 15,092 kidney transplants performed in the US in 2011, \~11,000 (62%) were from deceased donors. Of these, approximately 17% were from expanded-criteria donors. The USRDS reports that more than 50% of patients on the waiting list are willing to accept a kidney from an expanded-criteria donor (ECD) or donors after cardiac death (DCD). From the investigators previous studies with C1INH (Berinert®) for prevention of antibody mediated rejection (ABMR), the investigators noted that no patients developed ABMR during treatment with C1INH, the investigators also noted a near significant reduction in DGF due to IRI (ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT01134510), FDA Investigational New Drug (IND#): 14363). These findings suggest an important role for complement in the mediation of IRI and that inhibition of early complement activation using C1INH in patients receiving at risk kidneys for IRI should reduce this costly and often devastating complication of kidney transplantation. In addition, numerous other studies in animal models have shown dramatic improvements in IRI models with the use of C1INH. Complement activation is detectable in animal and in human kidneys models after IRI and experimental data suggests that use of C1INH prior to induction of IRI significantly reduces IRI as well as inflammatory cell infiltrates. Based on this, the investigators hypothesize that the use of C1INH in patients receiving deceased donor (DD) kidney transplants with high risk for DGF will show significant reductions in DGF and improved outcomes post-transplant compared with patients receiving DD transplants who do not receive C1INH treatment. Here, the investigators propose to investigate the application of pre-operative and post-transplant doses of C1INH (Berinert®) vs. placebo in adult subjects receiving a DD renal allograft considered at high-risk for IRI and DGF. The investigators hypothesize that C1INH treated patients will demonstrate improved function of the kidney allograft compared to placebo, with equivalence in safety. The primary objectives of this study are: Using a double blinded, placebo controlled format, the investigators will: 1\. Evaluate and compare the safety of C1INH (50 units/kilogram, round to the nearest 500 unit) administered pre-transplant and 24 hrs post-transplant in recipients of kidney allografts from high risk for IRI deceased donors. The secondary objectives are to: 1. On the basis of safety and efficacy, determine appropriate Berinert® study dose for Phase III investigation, and 2. Determine appropriate endpoint choice for Phase III investigation.