Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium could be an alternative to methotrexate for GVHD prophylaxis.

Morbidity and mortality resulting from acute and subsequently chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) pose a serious challenge to wider applicability of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a widely used drug in combination with a calcineurin inhibitor and often cyclosporine (CsA), in preventing GVHD. The use of MMF for acute GVHD (aGVHD) prophylaxis appears to result in significantly faster platelet engraftment and a lower incidence of severe mucositis compared to methotrexate, which could reduce the length of hospital stay. However, there is no statistically significant difference between MMF and methotrexate in regards to relapse risk, non-relapse mortality, or overall survival(1) . This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.