Belatacept Explained

Belatacept, sold under the brand name Nulojix, is a fusion protein composed of the Fc fragment of a human IgG1 immunoglobulin linked to the extracellular domain of CTLA-4,^[1] which is a molecule crucial in the regulation of T cell costimulation, selectively blocking the process of T-cell activation. It is intended to provide extended graft and transplant^[2] survival while limiting the toxicity generated by standard immune suppressing regimens, such as calcineurin inhibitors. It differs from abatacept (Orencia) by only two amino acids.

Belatacept was developed by Bristol-Myers-Squibb and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 15, 2011.^[3]

External links

• Web site: Belatacept . U.S. National Library of Medicine . Drug Information Portal .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Healthvalue.net: CTLA-4 Strategies. 2008-10-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20081205034856/http://www.healthvalue.net/ctlaigenglish.html. 5 December 2008 . live.
2. Vincenti F, Rostaing L, Grinyo J, Rice K, Steinberg S, Gaite L, Moal MC, Mondragon-Ramirez GA, Kothari J, Polinsky MS, Meier-Kriesche HU, Munier S, Larsen CP . 6 . Belatacept and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplantation . The New England Journal of Medicine . 374 . 4 . 333–43 . January 2016 . 26816011 . 10.1056/NEJMoa1506027 . 2445/178537 . 35661528 . free .
3. FDA approves Nulojix for kidney transplant patients . U.S. Food and Drug Administration . 2011-06-15 . 2011-06-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20110619051309/https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm259184.htm. 19 June 2011 . dead.