Life after a kidney transplant often settles into a quiet daily routine built around anti-rejection medication. For most people that means Tacrolimus, a tablet taken every day that protects the new kidney but can bring side effects such as tremor, an upset stomach and low mood. So news of a possible alternative kidney transplant drug is something our community tends to watch closely, and the latest results are worth sharing.
What did the Phase 2 BESTOW trial find?
According to an announcement from Eledon Pharmaceuticals, the company developing the treatment, long-term results from its Phase 2 BESTOW programme were presented at the American Transplant Congress in Boston in June 2026.
The trial compared Tegoprubart, an experimental antibody given by infusion, against Tacrolimus, the anti-rejection tablet most transplant patients in the UK take every day. It builds on earlier work on new therapies against transplant rejection that we have followed.
The headline findings were encouraging. Kidney function, measured by a blood test called the eGFR, settled after the first month and stayed higher in the Tegoprubart group throughout. At 18 months the difference was around 12 points in the drug’s favour, a gap the researchers reported as statistically significant. No rejection episodes were seen in Tegoprubart-treated patients after the first six months, while a small number continued to occur in the Tacrolimus group. Patients on Tegoprubart also reported a lighter burden of troublesome symptoms on two validated quality-of-life questionnaires at the one-year mark, and fewer side effects such as headache, diarrhoea and falls.
This article draws on an announcement from Eledon Pharmaceuticals (22 June 2026), reporting Phase 2 BESTOW extension data presented at the American Transplant Congress. You can read the original release here.
Why a new kidney transplant drug matters for patients
For anyone living with a transplant, success is about far more than avoiding rejection. It is also about protecting kidney function for as long as possible and feeling well enough to get on with daily life. Professor Andrew Adams, a transplant surgeon at the University of Minnesota who presented the findings, described a genuinely effective alternative to Tacrolimus as one of the biggest gaps still to be filled in transplant care, precisely because lifelong immunosuppression shapes both how long a transplant lasts and how patients feel day to day. That is why a kidney transplant drug that appears to preserve function while easing side effects is such a hopeful prospect, and it sits alongside other recent research into new transplant medication we have shared. Here in Manchester, questions about anti-rejection medicines are ones the renal team at Manchester Royal Infirmary knows well.
Promising, but still an experimental treatment
It is worth staying grounded about the stage this work has reached. BESTOW is a Phase 2 trial with a relatively small number of patients, carried out mainly in the United States, and Tegoprubart is not yet approved or available anywhere. Tacrolimus remains the standard of care for transplant patients in the UK. Following a successful meeting with the American regulator, Eledon plans to begin a larger Phase 3 trial in late 2026 to test whether the drug is at least as good as Tacrolimus at preventing rejection, graft loss and death over a year. If those results hold up, it could still be some years before this kidney transplant drug reaches patients. Anyone currently on Tacrolimus should keep taking it as prescribed and speak to their renal team before making any changes.
Research like this gives our community real reasons for hope. Many of our members know the daily reality of anti-rejection medication, so anything that could protect a transplant while making people feel better day to day is something we will always keep an eye on.
Guy Hill, Chair of MRIKPA
At MRIKPA we follow transplant research closely, because so many people in our community are living with a kidney transplant or waiting for one. We will keep sharing what we learn as this wider wave of new kidney treatments develops and the larger trials take shape.
We are a small community of patients who understand this journey from the inside. If you would like to connect with others who truly get it, you are always welcome to reach out at support@mrikpa.org.uk or call 07745 242 684.
Source: Eledon Pharmaceuticals, 22 June 2026. Eledon Presents Long-Term Extension Phase 2 BESTOW Results at American Transplant Congress. https://ir.eledon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/eledon-presents-long-term-extension-phase-2-bestow-results
This article is provided for general information and awareness purposes only and was believed to be accurate at the time of publishing. It is not intended as medical advice. Please always consult your doctor or renal team for guidance on your individual circumstances. Images used are for illustration purposes only and may not be medically or editorially accurate. While we take every care, errors can occur. If you spot an inaccuracy, please let us know at support@mrikpa.org.uk.
